t^a.-^,^-^^,. 






MANUAL OF ELOCUTION, 



CLASS AND PRIVATE INSTRUCTION. 



BY/ 

M. JOSEPHINE WARREN, 

LATE TEACHER OF ELOCUTION IN VASSAR COLLEGE. 



fyfad anil Jptfar^i 






PHILADELPHIA : 



W. S. FORTESCUE & CO., 

(Successors lo E. C. & J. Biddle,) 

No. 811 Akch Street. 
18 77. 



Tri+J 3 ' 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1877, by 

W. S. FORTESCUE & CO., 

in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 



PHILADELPHIA: 

COLLINS, PRINTER. 




DEDICATED 



THE LATE PROF. WILLIAM RUSSELL, 



TO WHOSE PKACTICAL WORKS AND INSTRUC- 
TION IN ELOCUTION I AM INDEBTED 
FOR MUCH OF MY INTEREST 
IN THIS NOBLE ART. 




PREFACE 



rPHE design of this Manual is to furnish the principles of 
the art of Elocution in a comprehensive and practical 
form. They are adapted to all grades of students and 
schools under the direction of a judicious teacher. Part I. 
embraces the principles necessary to Mechanical Voice 
Training and Intelligible Reading. Part II. embodies the 
principles of Expressive Eeading, which, in its highest 
sense, implies, on the part of the reader, intellectual devel- 
opment and innate emotional power. The mechanical drill 
is designed to develop taste in regard to expressive tone, 
and may be appropriately introduced to students of various 
grades. 

The selections under Emotional Analysis are designed as 
tests of the student's ability to determine the feeling em- 
bodied in written language, and to apply correct element? 
of expression in the reading. This Manual may be used 
with any Reader which the student or teacher may select. 

1* v 



SUGGESTIONS TO TEACHEES. 



ORDER" is said to be "Heaven's First Law," and no- 
where can it be more appropriately true tban in Read- 
ing Classes. 

" Teach your pupils to cultivate good taste and good man- 
ners, and the car of improvement will make a glorious start 
towards the desired goal, Classification" 

Arrange a class in a tasteful manner, and, when once 
arranged, let them understand that you always expect to 
meet them in that position. 

Have them come in order, as well as remain in order. 

Grading is indispensable, if you wish to secure progress. 

Qualification should be made the standard of promotion. 

Require an erect position, either in sitting or standing. 

Book in left hand. Right hand at liberty to turn leaves. 

Do not assign too long lessons. 

It is far better to read one verse or paragraph understand- 
ing^ than to call words through a dozen pages, and neither 
express nor even conceive the meaning of a line read. 

Select such pieces as shall best serve to illustrate any 
particular characteristic, or what may be best adapted to 
the capacities of your pupils. 

Care must be taken that the exercise is not above the com- 
prehension of young readers, or not adapted to their taste. 

The pupil's own attentive study of the meaning of what 
he reads is essential to, secure natural force and variation 
of tone. 

Simple narrative, descriptive, and conversational pieces 
should be first mastered. 

vii 



V1U SUGGESTIONS TO TEACHERS. 

The most undivided attention of the Teacher should be 
given to a class iu Reading. 

Children learn much by imitation, and the voice of the 
teacher must be frequently heard in a correct manner. 

Never allow a child to utter any word or sound in reading, 
recitation, or conversation in a listless manner ; " IJliatever 
is worth doing at all, is worth doing well" 

It is not enough that a half hour once a week be given to 
this exercise. It should receive daily attention. 

Vocal Practice is essential after a thorough analysis of 
the piece. 

See to it that your pupils study Reading lessons aloud at 
home, in the open air, on the play-ground. 

The Analytical Study of a lesson possesses many advan- 
tages, viz. : 

1st. As a means of general information it is invaluable. 

2d. As a preparation for oral utterance it is necessary 
that the reader should fully comprehend the meaning of the 
author. 

3d. By it the child's mind becomes familiarized with the 
derivation and meaning of words, and thus learns to appre- 
ciate their beauty and force. 

Let as much of the thinking be done by the class as 
possible. 

Dictionaries are indispensable in determining pronuncia- 
tions and definitions. 

Encyclopaedias and other works of reference are valuable 
aids to the intelligent analysis of the piece. 

VarioLis Methods for Seemring the Interest 
of a Class. 

Let one pupil read a sentence, then call for criticisms 
from class. 

Let teacher read a sentence in a faulty manner, asking 
class to note defects. If an advanced class, call on some 
member of the class to state some of the facts contained in 



SUGGESTIONS TO TEACHERS. IX 

the lesson. Give a short sketch of it if descriptive, nar- 
rative, or biographical. Sometimes require the study of a 
selection, especially for emphasis; again, for its pauses; for 
the sounds of letters ; for inflections : the latter may be taught 
by arranging a class in two sections, one asking questions, 
and the other answering. 

Occasionally require a list of words which scholars hear 
mis-pronounced. Many exercises may be taken with profit 
in concert. It brings out the voices of the diffident, and 
encourages them to greater effort. 

Boys and girls alternate, teachers and scholars alternate, 
each calling a word, or reading to a rhetorical pause. 

Volunteer reading. 

Call for selected passages illustrating some principle of 
expression. 

Let scholar write a sentence upon the blackboard, then 
pronounce in a natural manner. 

Dialogues and dramatic pieces tend to awaken interest, 
and, if judiciously selected, are of great utility as a means 
of imparting animation and variety of tone. 

Sameness of tone arises usually from too exclusive atten- 
tion to words. 

Make frequent and unexpected changes in conducting a 
Beading exercise. 

Variety is everything, and unless you awaken an inter- 
est in this, as in other departments of study, you must not 
expect success. 

Reading is an intellectual and emotional process, and 
there can be no good reading, no matter how well the voice 
is trained, unless there' are intellects to think, and hearts 
to feel. 

" The best instrument will make poor music, if the performer 
be unskilful." 



CONTENTS 



PAGE 

Suggestions to Teachers vii 

Introductory Eejiaeks xiii 

PART I. 

^dpfytl ami jtottosl j|uHJ. 

CHAPTER I. 
Preparatory Exercises 17 

CHAPTER II. 
Production of Tone 20 

CHAPTER III. 
Articulation 24 

CHAPTER IV. 
Exercises in Articulation 35 

CHAPTER V. 
Pronunciation . . . 51 

CHAPTER VI. 
Pauses 57 

CHAPTER VII. 

Inflections, or Slides, and Cadence 62 

xi 



Xll CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER VIII. 
Emphasis 75 

CHAPTER IX. 
Thought Analysis of TJnimpassioned Language . . 79 

CHAPTER X. 
Registers of the Voice 82 



PART II. 

^At& mi 3j{<>ifofeftm. 



CHAPTER XL 
Force and Stress . . . . , . . .91 

CHAPTER XII. 
Pitch 97 

CHAPTER XIII. 
Bate or Movement 100 

CHAPTER XIV. 
Emotional Analysis 103 

CHAPTER XV. 
Hints and Suggestions on the Use of the Voice . .117 



INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 



ELOCUTION is an art which implies the management of 
the voice in speaking, and, like music, or any other art, 
is based upon principles which must be taught and learned. 

It is to some extent an imitative art. As the ear is the 
vehicle of sound, young persons, especially, readily acquire 
habits of tone or speech, good or bad, according to the 
models furnished them. 

The speaking voice, in common with the singing voice, 
needs careful and systematic training to secure the best 
results. No person can produce tones in singing, in a false 
or imperfect manner, without injury to the organs of voice, 
and even, oftentimes, permanent injury to health. It is 
just as true of the speaking voice. Hundreds of profes- 
sional people suffer with bronchial and throat diseases, 
and often from broken down, enfeebled health, simply 
because they have exerted the muscles and organs of 
voice in the wrong direction. They have never learned 
the* secret of' managing the breath, and producing tones 
according to correct principles. 

Nature's laws cannot be trampled upon without doing 
violence to a part, or perhaps the whole, of the physi- 
cal machinery. 

The study of Elocution seeks to remedy this imperfect 
use of the vocal organs, and apply appropriate remedies 
for establishing correct habits. 

The correct and systematic exercise of the vocal organs 
serves to give tone and vigor to the whole physical being, 
and is an important aid in arresting and preventing pul- 
monary disease. 

2 xiii 



XIV INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 

To the student, the teacher, the clergyman, and all 
whose employments are sedentary, the exercises prescribed 
in this manual are invaluable as a means of health. 

Too much stress cannot be given to the importance of 
the cultivation of agreeable tones of voice. The nasal 
quality of tone is perhaps the most offensive to the ear, 
and yet it largely prevails. 

The feeble oral tone existing to a great degree among 
girls and young women, especially in the school-room, is 
a habit resulting partly from a false delicacy in the use of 
the voice, and partly from physical languor and weakness. 

The compressed tvaist is a serious hindrance to attaining 
vocal power, and, indeed, it is quite impossible to secure a 
full, round, deep resonance without a free play of the 
muscles of the chest and waist. 

The benefits arising from the study of Elocution are no 
less perceptible in conversation than in reading or public 
speaking. Agreeable tones and correct speech indicate cul- 
ture, whether heard in the social and home circle, or in the 
pulpit or school-room. 

To read well implies, iu the first place, an intelligent 
comprehension of the meaning of the author, which involves 
study. And in the second place, such a facile control of the 
organs of voice and speech, and such a knowledge of princi- 
ples of expression, as shall enable the student to read with 
understanding and feeling. As an accomplishment, correct 
and impressive oral reading is unequalled. " The essence 
of language lies in its Iking idterance" says an eminent phil- 
ologist. 

It is only in the expressive tone, look, and action that 
the various shades of thought and feeling can find their 
completest power and force, and language must ever be 
imperfectly appreciated except in oral speech. 



PAET I. 



Manual of Elocution. 



CHAPTER I. 

PREPARATORY EXERCISES. 

Gymnastic exercises, especially such as bring into 
action the muscles of the chest and waist, are excellent 
preparatives to attaining energy in vocal functions. 

The vigor and power of the voice depend, to a great 
extent, upon the vigor of the physical system ; hence, 
whatever exercise tends to expand the chest and in- 
vigorate the body, helps to give strength and purity 
of tone to the, voice. 

Correct habits of breathing are of the utmost im- 
portance, as the lungs depend for their power, as a 
vocal organ, upon the quantity and management of the 
breath. 

The position of the body, in speaking as in singing, 
must be such as in no way to interfere with the easy 
drawing in and giving out of the breath. 

An erect posture implies that the shoulders are 
drawn downward and backward, chest expanded and 
2* B 17 



18 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

projected, abdomen slightly drawn in, head erect, and 
chin slightly elevated. 

In sitting, the lower part of the spine should rest 
against the back of the chair, the feet resting firmly 
on the floor, with toes ontward and one foot slightly in 
advance of the other, the hands resting easily in the lap. 

In standing for gymnastics, place the heels together, 
hands at the side, toes turned outward, forming an 
angle of about sixty degrees. 

In the speaker's position, support the weight of the 
body on the left foot, keeping the leg perfectly 
straight ; advance the right foot about three inches ; 
the knee of the right leg should be slightly bent for- 
ward. Turn the toes of both feet outward, forming 
an angle of forty-five degrees. Keverse this position. 
Support the body on right foot, etc. 

In reading, hold the book in the left hand at a 
moderate distance from the chest, not so high as to 
obstruct the voice, nor so low as to require a bending 
forward of the head in order to see the page. 

Respiration. 

Breath is the material of voice. No effort of suction 
is required to effect this ; the chest has but to be 
expanded, and the air will rush into the air-cells of 
the lungs, and distend them to the full extent of the 
cavity created in the thorax. 

A full inspiration elevates and expands the chest, 
and, by a descent of the diaphragm, slightly protrudes 
the abdomen. In the process of expiration, the abdo- 
men is compressed ; the diaphragm, by an upward 
impulse, received from the abdominal muscles, and 



PREPARATORY EXERCISES. 19 

imparted to the pleura, forces the breath from the air- 
cells into the bronchi, and thence into the trachea and 
larynx. 

Breathing should be inaudible in the process of 
speech. The abdominal, intercostal, and dorsal mus- 
cles at the lower part of the chest and waist are chiefly 
exercised in the natural process of breathing; hence, 
great care should be taken that the clothing be loose, 
that these muscles may act freely and easily. 

Exercises in Breathing. 

PURE AIR IS INDISPENSABLE. 
{Erect position. Stand with heels together, arms akimbo) 

1. Deep Breathing through Nostrils. — Inhale and 
exhale the breath slowly through nostrils, keeping 
mouth closed. Let the breathing be deep and tranquil. 

2. Abdominal Breathing. — Inhale slowly through 
nostrils. Let the waist be expanded in front, and the 
abdomen distended. Exhale forcibly through the 
mouth by an energetic use of the abdominal muscles, 
imparting a powerful action to the diaphragm. 

3. Intercostal Breathing. — Inhale as before. Let the 
waist be expanded sidewise, distending the ribs. Ex- 
hale the breath slowly through the nostrils. 

4. Explosive or Abrupt Breathing. — Inhale as before; 
then by a sudden and powerful effort emit the breath 
in a short, quick sound of the letter h. 

5. Panting. — Breathe rapidly and gently from base 
of lungs. 

Note. — Five or ten minutes devoted to one or more of these exercises 
each day before vocal practice, would result in great benefit not only to 
the vocal organs, but to the general exhilaration and activity of body 
and mind. 



CHAPTER II. 

PRODUCTION OF TONE. 

Sound is of two kinds, viz., tones and noises. The 
former are produced by regular vibrations in a sound- 
ing body, the latter by irregular vibrations. In speech, 
the air rushes more directly out of the mouth than in 
singing, and with somewhat irregular vibrations. The 
more perfect we can produce the vibrations in speak- 
ing, or, in other words, the more musical we can make 
the speaking ' voice, the more agreeable and audible 
will it become. 

Form of Vibrations in Speaking. 




Form of Vibrations in Singing. 





The right management of the breath is essential in 
the production of tone. The character of the tone 
may be pure or impure. A good tone, one that is 
pure, round, smooth, and ringing, depends upon the 



20 



PRODUCTION OF TONE. 21 

free vibration of the vocal chords, upon the direction 
of the vocal current, and upon the formation and posi- 
tion of the sounding apparatus. 

A good voice, with respect to its quality or " timbre," 
is smooth, clear, round, pure, full, and musical. 

An impure voice is rough, harsh, nasal, oral, guttural, 
thin, reedy, hollow, shrill, or flat. 

The larynx is the seat of voice, and by the vibra- 
tion of the vocal chords, the breath is converted into 
sound. The character of this sound is determined by 
the place of resonance. 

The bronchi, trachea, larynx, pharynx, mouth, ear 
tubes, and nostrils are the resonant cavities of voice, 
and in order that they present a good resonant surface, 
they must be in a healthy condition, or free from secre- 
tion. 

The size and formation of the vocal organs vary, 
of course, in different individuals, but the shape of the 
mouth and throat can be greatly modified by the 
action of the will. 

To secure a pure tone, the mouth must be freely 
opened, the- soft palate partially suspended in the 
throat, allowing free passage to the mouth and nos- 
trils. If it is too much raised, the passage to the nos- 
trils is obstructed, and the voice lacks that ringing 
property resulting from the resonant cavities of the 
head. If it is too much lowered, the vocal current 
passes into the nostrils, producing a nasal tone. The 
position and action of the base of the tongue are con- 
trolled by the elevation or depression of the soft 
palate. If the palate is raised the tongue is lowered, 
thus forming an open throat. If the palate is lowered, 



22 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

tlie base of the tongue is raised, forming a closed 
throat. In the latter condition, guttural and oral 
tones are the result. 

(The position and action of these organs should be carefully 
studied before the mirror in the production of tone. ) 

Exercise for Palate. 
Eaise the palate and sound the vowels ah — aw. 
Hold the palate in same position and sound the lip 
vowels e — 6. 

Kepeat these several times with one breath. 

Exercise for the Pharynx. 

Practise the syllables \ w ' v ' J; ' 
{ up, ut, uk. 



Practise the sounds 



B, D, G, 
P, T, K. 



Purity of tone requires that the breath be perfectly 
vocalized. In order to secure a pure and perfectly 
sonorous tone, the fine edges of the lips of the glottis, or 
mouth of the larynx, must be brought to a perfect state 
of tension, and no breath allowed to escape unvocal- 
ized. In other words, there must be a momentary 
closing of the glottis, preparatory to the sudden and 
abrupt explosion of sound. 

Directions for Securing a Clear, Crisp, In- 
stantaneous Vocalization. 
Hold the breath for an instant, then suddenly ex- 
plode the syllables at, et, it, op, up with open mouth, 
directly from^the throat. Practise the vowels singly. 



TRODCCTIOX OF TONE. 



23 



Directions for the Following. 
Use little breath. Vocalize all the breath, and 
direct the vocal current well forward in the mouth : 

Scro 



a 


a 


as m arm. 


a 


a 


(< 


all. 


a 


a 


u 


hat. 


a 


a 


cc 


fate. 


i 
i 


i 
i 


u 


pine 
pin. 


e 


e 


" 


eve. 








u 


not. 








" 


old. 



CHAPTER III. 

ARTICULATION. 

" Articulation is tlie formation and joining together 
into syllables of the elementary sounds of speech." 

Good articulation is a primary excellence of good 
reading and speaking. 

It is effected by the action of the larynx, lips, 
tongue, palate, teeth, and nostrils. 

The position and action of these organs should be 
carefully noted in the production of each sound. A 
free and easy play of the muscles of the mouth is 
necessary to secure exactness and distinctness of 
utterance. 

Careful attention. to the process of breathing is es- 
sential. 

The breath must be freely expelled, as well as freely 
inhaled. 

The Elementary Sounds. 

An elementary sound is the simplest sound in the 
language. 

The Sounds of the English language number, for 
practical purposes, forty-seven, and are divided pho- 
netically into vocals, sub-vocals, and aspirates. 

The Vocals consist of pure vocality or tone, and are 
formed by a free opening of the mouth and throat, and 

24 



ARTICULATION. 25 

by careful attention to the direction of the vocal cur- 
rent. 

The Vowels in the following table are each arranged 
so as to proceed from the most open to the most closed 
sound. 

The first vocal, a, is the broadest, most open sound 
in the language, and requires a full lowering of the 
under jaw, forming a space between the teeth at least 
the space of an inch and a half. 

Vocals. 

Practise the following with energy, precision, and purity of 
tone. Pronounce first the words, and then the vocal. 

Simple Sounds. 
a as in arm. e as in eve. 



a 


" all. 


i 


' pin. 


a 


" ask. 





' on. 


a 


" hat. 





' nor. 


d 


" care. 


6 


' ooze. 


e 


' met. 


u 


' but. 


e 


' her. , 


u ' 


' full. 



Compound or Diphthongal Elements. 

A Diphthong is the union of two sounds in one syl- 
lable. The initial sound is called the radical; the 
final, the vanish. 

a as in ale is compounded of a — e. 





I " 


pine " 


' " a — i. 




" 


old " 


" d — 6. 




u " 


use " 


1 " i — 8. 




Oil " 


out " 


1 " o — 0. 




01 " 


oil " 


{ " — I. 


3 









26 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

Intermediate Vocals. 

a in air, care, rare, etc., lies between a in ale and e 
in 'end. It is usually followed by r.. a in ask is an in- 
termediate sound between a in arm and a in at. e in 
such, words as err, earth, mercy, and in all words where 
it precedes r, should be distinguished from u, as in 
burr, urn, etc. The sound of e in such cases begins 
with short e, and terminates instantly in that of r. 

o in nor, usually followed by r, is not so broad as a 
in all, nor so short as o in not. u preceded by r, as in 
rude, fruit, truth, also by I combined with a consonant, 
as in flute, plume, takes a short sound of oo, as in 
ooze. 

Select the vocals in the following, and utter with pure tone. 
Alternate each word with syllable scroo. 

" The sea ! the sea ! the open sea ! 
The blue, the fresh, the ever free! 
Without a mark, without a bound, 
It runneth the earth's wide regions round ; 
It plays with the clouds, it mocks the skies, 
Or like a cradled creature lies." 

Subvoeals. 
The Subvoeals consist of voice articulations, and are 
formed by a more energetic and varied use of the or- 
gans of speech than the vowels. 



Y as in yet. 


Z as 


in azure. 


Nh 


as in ink. 


W " way. 


Z ' 


' zone. 


M 


" may. 


Wh " when. 


Th ' 


then. 


N 


" nay. 


R " roll. 


J ' 


' j°y- 


G 


" gay. 


R " far. 


V ' 


' vile. 


D 


" day. 


L " lay. 


Ng < 


' sing. 


B 


" babe. 



ARTICULATION. 27 

Aspirates. 
The Aspirates consist of breath articulations. 
II as in hay. T as in tent. 

Th " thin. P " pipe. 

Sh " shun. F " fife. 

S " see. Ch " church. 

JT ■" kite. 

Cognate Sounds. 

If the position of the vocal organs be closely ob- 
served while sounding the element represented by b, 
it will be seen that a similar position of the lips, as 
well as a similar effort of the mouth, will also produce 
the sound represented by l p? thus establishing a cer- 
tain relationship between these sounds ; hence they 
are called cognates. 

There is a triple correspondence of some of these 
sounds. 

II, N, Ng, sub vocals. 

B, D, G, V, Z, in zone, Th, J, Z, in azure, subvocals. 

P, T, K, F, S, Th, Ch, Sh, . aspirates. 

Y, II, L, R, Ch, W, Wh, are exceptions. 

One sound is often incorrectly substituted for an- 
other, as b for its cognate p, in such words as Jupiter, 
Baptist, pronounced Jubiter, Babtist. Sometimes cl is 
incorrectly pronounced like its cognate t, as in dread- 
ful, dreatful. The aspirate th for the subvocal th, as 
beneath, underneath, etc. 

Formation of Subvocal and Aspirate 

Sounds. 
Y is the sound of long e uttered abruptly. 
W is the sound of 6 shortened. 



28 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

Wh begins with the expulsion of the whispered 
breath, and ends with a vocalized W. 

R, initial, or before a vowel, is formed by the quick 
vibration of the tip of the tongue against the upper 
front gums. 

R, smooth, is formed by turning the tongue back 
in the mouth towards the roof, but not touching it, 
and uttering a smooth, hollow tone, with a gentle 
vibration. 

L. Place the tip of the tongue gently against the 
upper front gums, and allow the sound to escape freely 
over the sides of the tongue. 

Z in azure. Bring the teeth almost together, the 
tongue against the roof of the mouth, and emit a 
buzzing sound. 

Z in zone. Place the tongue against the upper 
front gums and utter a buzzing sound. 

Th. Place the tongue between the teeth and par- 
tially vocalize the breath. 

J. Organs in nearly the same position of z in azure, 
except that the tongue is brought a little further for- 
ward in the mouth. 

V. Place the under lip in contact with the upper 
front teeth and emit a gentle undertone. 

Ng. Place the fiat surface of the tongue against the 
roof of the mouth and vocalize the breath in the nos- 
trils. 

Nk. The organs in same position as for ng, and then 
stop off the sound with the aspirate K. 

M. Compress the lips and produce a murmuring 
sound in the mouth. 

N. Place the end of the tongue against the upper 



ARTICULATION. 29 

G. Place the middle of the tongue against the back 
part of the roof of the mouth, and produce a quick, 
explosive murmur in the throat. 

D. Place the tip of the tongue firmly against the 
upper gums, and separate them suddenly by a forci- 
ble pressure of vocalized breath against the point of 
contact. 

B. Press the lips closely, and separate suddenly by 
a forcible pressure of vocalized breath against them. 

H. Emit the breath through an open mouth. 

Th. Place the tongue against the upper front teeth 
and force the breath between them. 

Sh. Organs in same position of z in azure. Emit 
the breath between the teeth, slightly parted. 

S. Organs in same position of z in zone. Hiss 
the breath. 

K. Organs same as for g. Explode the breath from 
the throat. 

T. Press the tongue against the upper gums and 
explode the breath. 

P. Compress the lips and explode the breath be- 
tween them. 

F. Lips same as for v. Expel the breath. 

Exercise on Consonants and Vowels 
Combined, 

( W and v to esercise nmscles of lips. One sound is often sub- 
stituted for the other.) 

wa — va va — wa 

Ave — ve ve — we 

wl — vl vl — wl 

wo — vo vo — w5 

wo — vo vo — w6 



30 A MANUAL OP ELOCUTION. 

(Z? and p for the lips, t and I; d and g for tongue and palate.) 

ba — pa da — ga ta — ka 

be — pe de — ge te — ke 

bl — pi di — -gl tl — kl 

bo — po d5 — go t5 — kd 

bo — po do — go to — ko 

cla — ka tka — sa skra — ska 

cle — ke tke — se shre — ske 

ell— kl thi — si skrl — ski 

clo — ko tli 6 — so skro — sko 

clo — k8 tlio — s6 skro — sko 



ab- 


-ap 


ad- 


-at 




av — af 


ag- 


-ak 


eb- 


-ep 


ed- 


-et 




ev — ef 


eg- 


-ek 


ib- 


-Ip 


id- 


-it 




IV — if 


ig- 


-Ik 


ob- 


-op 


od- 


-ot 




ov — of 


og- 


-ok 


ub- 


-up 

ask 
esk 
Isk 
osk 


ud- 


-lit 


atk 
etk 
Itk 
otk 


uv — uf 


ug- 

ang 
eng 
ing 
ong 


-uk 



iisk utk ung 

Exercises upon Consonant Sounds in 
Combination. 

Tke necessity of daily practice upon tke consonants 
is apparent from tke many difficult combinations 
wkick tke Englisk language presents. 

Tke rule of practice skould be to articulate with 
suck energy, deliberateness, and precision, tkat every 



ARTICULATION. 



31 



sound may be fully and exactly formed, and distinctly 
heard. 

Pronounce first the word, and then the consonant 
sounds. 





Initial 


Syllables. 




bl— blow, 


bled, 


bloom, 


blue, 


blame. 


cl — clime, 


clan, 


cling, 


claim, 


claw. 


fl — flame, 


fleet, 


flume, 


flight, 


fleet. 


gl— glide, 


glaze, 


gleam, 


glow, 


glue. 


pi — place, 


plain, 


plod, 


plume, 


play. 


si — slain, 


sleet, 


slime, 


sled, 


slim. 


spl — splice, 


split, 


splash, 


spleen, 


splay. 


br — brim, 


brave, 


brown, 


broom, 


brute. 


cr — creep, 


crow, 


crime, 


crutch, 


cram. 


dr — draw, 


«Lrive, 


drown, 


dream, 


dram. 


fr — frame, 


freeze, 


fruit, 


friend, 


from. 


gr — grim, 


green, 


growl, 


grind, 


ground. 


pr — prop, 


pray, 


proud, 


prune, 


prime. 


shr — shrill, 


shred, 


shriek, 


shrewd, 


shrink. 


scr — scrip, 


scream, 


scroll, 


scrub, 


screech, 


spr — spring, 


sprite, 


spring, 


spread, 


sprung. 


str — strain, 


stream, 


string, 


strand, 


strait. 


sf — sphere, 


sphinx, 


spheroid. 


i 


sphene. 


sh — skate, 


skill, 


skip, 


skein, 


skiff. 


sm — smite, 


smooth 


, smith, 


smart, 


small. 


sn — snap, 


snare, 


snow, 


snag, 


snarl. 


sp — speak, 


speed, 


spike, 


spade, 


space. 


st — stain, 


stop, 


sting, 


stag, 


staff. 


thr — thrive, 


thrum, 


throb, 


thrill, 


thrice. 


tr — trip, 


trade, 


trance, 


trash, 


trick. 



32 



A MANUAL, OF ELOCUTION, 





Two Letters. — 


Final. 




bs — rubs, 


cabs, 


gibes, 


tubes, 


clubs. 


ds — bids, 


buds, 


pads, 


sods, 


pods. 


gs — bags, 


figs, 


dogs, 


rags, 


kegs. 


ms — aims, 


dimes, 


seems, 


arms, 


dooms. 


ns — dens, 


nuns, 


shuns, 


bans, 


shins. 


rs — bars, 


cars, 


spurs, 


purs, 


tears. 


vs — dives, 


caves, 


paves, 


loves, 


roves. 


Is — bells, 


dells, 


sells, 


tells, 


pills. 


fs — reefs, 


fifes, 


puffs, 


miffs, 


cuffs. 


hs — six, 


mix, 


bricks, 


axe, 


looks. 


Is — false, 


pulse, 


else, 


pulse, 


else. 


ps — droops, 


lips, 


tips, 


mopes, 


deeps. 


rs — liorse, 


worse, 


purse, 


terse, 


verse. 


ts — writes, 


boots, 


cots, 


shuts, 


slats. 


nd — hand, 


land, 


sand, 


bond, 


wend. 


nJc — think, 


tank, 


plank, 


junk, 


brink. 


nt — tent, 


sent, 


lent, 


pent, 


rent. 


ns — dance, 


lance, 


since, 


glance, 


pence. 


Id— hold, 


fold, 


bold, 


sold, 


gold. 


*/-gulf, 


elf, 


pelf, 


self, 


wolf. 


Ik — silk, 


milk, 


bulk, 


hulk, 


yelk. 


Im — realm, 


elm, 


film, 


whelm, 


helm. 


Ip — help, 


yelp, 


gulp, 


scalp, 


whelp. 


Is — calls, 


falls, 


bells, 


sells, 


wells. 


rb — orb, 


curb, 


verb, 


herb, 


barb. 


rd — lord, 


ford, 


cord, 


bird, 


bard. 


rf — surf, 


dwarf, 


scarf, 


turf, 


serf. 


rg— urge, 


forge, 


merge, 


purge, 


barge. 



ARTICULATION. 



33 



rh — bark, 


hark, mark, stark, 


lark. 


rl — snarl 


twirl, girl, furl, 


churl. 


rm — warm, 


arm, farm, storm, 


harm. 


rn — burn, 


learn, turn, corn, 


fern. 


rp — harp, 


sharp, warp, carp, 


sharp. 


rt — hurt, 


mart, flirt, girt, 


fort. 


rv — carve, 


serve, nerve, thrive 


, strive. 


rz — fears, 


tears, hears, wares, 


bears. 


hi — trouble. 


si — rustle. In— 


-fall'n. 


dl — handle. 


tl — startle. pn — op'n. 


/—trifle. 


vl — marvel. sn — list'n. 


gl — mangle. 


zl — dazzle. tn— 


-sweet'n. 


Jcl — buckle. 


dn — gladd'n. vn— 


-heav'n. 


pi — scruple. 


hi — black'n. zn— 


-blaz'n. 


Three Letters. — Final. 




bis — nobles, 


tables, cables, 


ambles. 


dls— ladles, 


handles, bridles, 


saddles. 


fls — muffles, 


trifles, ruffles, 


baffles. 


gls— juggles, 


eagles, shingles, 


mingles. 


kls — pickles, 


buckles, sickles, 


cackles. 


pis — apples, 


dapples, dimples, 


samples. 


tls — nestles, 


bottles, hustles, 


pestles. 


vis — ravels, 


shovels, grovels, 


weevils. 


zls — dazzles, 


frizzles, puzzles, 


muzzles, 



Four Letters. — Final. 
bdst — prob'dst. list — humbl'st. ftst — left'st. 

ddst — add'st. dlst — kindl'st. Jcdst — lik'dst. 

gdst — laggd'st. gist — mingl'st. stst — enlist'st. 

C 



34 



A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 



Idst — sliield'st. 
rdst — regard'st. 
vdst — lov'dst. 

Vest — milk'st. 
Ipst — scalp'st. 

Ivst — dissolv'st. 
mdst — doom'dst. 



plst — dimpl'st. dnst — burd'n'st. 



zlst — dazzl'st. 
z 1st- — puzzl'st. 
ndst — send'st. 
rbst — curb'st. 
rmst — charm' st. 
rnst — turn'st. 



hnst — beck'n'st. 
snst — less'n'st. 
rvst — preserv'st. 
sJcst — ask'st. 

tlst — nestl'st. 
thst — writh'st. 



dths — hundredths, fths — fifths. rmth — warmth. 
Iths — healths. nihs — tenths. ngth — strength. 

pths — depths. rths — hearths. hsth — sixth. 



CHAPTER IV. 

EXERCISES IN ARTICULATION. 

Good Articulation will enable a person to speak with 
comparative ease ; and, combined with purity of tone, 
will be far more effective than strength or power of 
voice. 

The chief object of the following exercises is to 
strengthen and discipline the organs of speech, and 
also to eradicate, by constant repetition, false modes 
of utterance which early training or neglect may have 
established as habitual. 

In order to secure the desired result, the following 
exercises should be uttered with great clearness, pre- 
cision, and energy. 

Vowel Elements. 
EXERCISE I. 

Italian a, marked a, as in arm, represented by a, aw, 

a/i, ua, ea, e. 
Far, launch, daunt, aunt, father, palm, charge, psalm, 
ah, car, heart, guard, sergeant, hurrah, piano. 
Launch thy bark, mariner. Far clown the glen 
stood armed men. In their far blue arch sparkled 
J;he crowd of stars, less brightly, when day is done. 

J.rmed, say you ? 
firmed, my lord, from head to foot. 

35 



36 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

EXERCISE II. 

Broad a, marked «, as in all, represented by a, au, 
aw, oa, ou. 

Hall, awe, autumn, walk, chalk, water, law, broad, 

thought. 

Up, comrades, up, in Eokeby's halls, ne'er be it said 
our courage falls. He was a man, take him for all in 
all. 

Draw, archers ; draw; your arrows to their heads. 

My advice is to send Charles abroad. Let him go 
abroad, by all means. 

EXERCISE III. 
Intermediate a, marked a, as in ask, represented by 
a, au. 

Past, dance, France, grass, draught, quaff, task, waft, 

after. 

For now we see through a glass darkly. Prove all 
things, hold fast that which is good. We stood aghast 
at the vast mass of brass which formed an impassable 
barrier to our task. 

EXERCISE IV. 
Short a, marked a, as in hat, represented by a, ai. 

Hat, lad, back, has, scrap, gland, man, gather, patent, 

abode, abound, adapt, plaid. 

Nor doth remain a shadow of man's ravage save 
his own. Is this a dagger which I see before me, 
the handle toward my hand ? Eeading maketh a ful^ 
man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact 
man. 



EXERCISES IN ARTICULATION. 37 

EXERCISE V. 

Long a before r, marked a, as in care, — e, repre- 
sented by a, ai, ay, ea, ei. 
Bare, fare, bare, ware, air, hair, stair, prayer, snare, 

careful, pear, wear, prepare, compare, there. 

Alas ! for the rarity of Christian charity. When 
freedom from her mountain height, unfurled her stand- 
ard to the air, she tore the azure robe of night, and set 
the stars of glory there. He is the heir apparent to 
the throne. 

Call you me fair ? that fair again unsay. Demet 
rius loves your ftwr ; 0, happy fair I 

EXERCISE VI 

Long a, marked a, as in fate, = a+ e, represented by 

a, ai, ey, ei, au, ea, ao, ay. 
Age, ale, aim, sail, faith, daily, raiment, obey, they, 

sleigh, freight, greatness, neighbor, array, gauge, 

yea, gaol, player, straight, neigh. 

On ye brave, who rush to glory, or the grave. So 
stately her bearing, so proud her array, the mam she 
will traverse forever and aye. As idle as a pamted 
ship, upon a pamted ocean. 

Nay, your name is Kate, 
And bonny Kate, .... 
But Kate, the prettiest Kate in Christendom. 

EXERCISE VII. 

Long i, marked I, as in pine, = a+i, represented by a, 

y, ie, ei, ai, id, uy, eye. 
Time, wine, nine, fife, child, thyme, consign, type, fie, 
deny, height, aisle, buy, guide, chyme, nigh, sleight 



38 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

A simple child that lightly draws its breath. Mmds 
that have nothing to confer, find little to perceive. 
Silence that dreadful bell ; it frights the isle from 
her propriety. 

The master saw the madness rise ; 
His glowing cheeks, his ardent eyes ; 
And while he earth and heaven defy'd, 
Chang'd his hand, and check'd his pride. 

EXERCISE Till. 

Short i, marked i, as in pin, = y, represented by u, ai, 
ei, ui y ee, ia, ey, le, oi. 

Sin, dim, film, intend, timid, mystery, fountain, moun- 
tain, hypocrite, surfeit, biscuit, been, carriage, busy, 
empty, adversity, quality, gloomy, valley, rallied, 
tortoise, mnmte. 

That inward eye, which is the bliss of solitude. 
Trim Tristram Trotter trampled on the trim trades- 
man's trimmings. Consider the lilies of the field. 
For riches often take to themselves wings. 

EXERCISE IX. 

Short e, marked e, as in met, represented by ea, ai, a?/, 

le, a, eo, ei, ice. 

Bend, rend, send, defend, measure, prelude, prelate, 
knell, said, again, maintain, says, friend, any, leop- 
ard, realm, heaven, nonpareil. 

My tongue is the pen of a ready writer. And soon 
from giiest to guest the panic spread. Independence 
now and independence forever. The noblest mind the 
best contentment has. 



EXERCISES IX ARTICULATION. 39 

EXERCISE X. 

Short and obtuse e, marked e, as in her, = i = y, rep- 
resented by ea. 

Germ, term, learn, heard, person, mercy, firm, service, 
virtue, perfect, disperse, universal, pearl, myrtle, 
therefore. 

Give me liberty or give me death. Earth's noblest 
thing a woman perfected. The quality of mercy is not 
strained. 

Learn from the birds what food the thickets yield ; 
Learn from the beasts the physic of the field — 
Thy arts of building from the bee receive ; 
Learn of the mole to plough, the worm to weave ; 
Learn of the little nautilus to sail, 
Spread the thin oar and catch the driving gale. 

EXERCISE XL 

Long e, marked e, as in eve, = i, represented by ey, uay, 
ee, ea, ei, ie, eo. 

Mete, me, feel, seem, feat, tea, yield, leisure, ceiling, 
shriek, liege, pique, police, people, mien, quay, seine, 
key. 

My tears must stop, for every drop hinders needle 
and thread. what a tangled net we weave, when 
first we practice to deceive. Seems, madam ! nay, it 
is ; I know not seems. 

For me the mine a thousand treasures brings, 
For me health gushes through a thousand springs ; 
Seas roll to waft me, suns to light me rise, 
My footstool, earth ; my canopy, the skies. 



40 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

EXERCISE XII. 
Broad o, marked o, as in nor, represented by eo.. 
For, orb, storm, scorn, forlorn, mortal, former, fortune, 
morn, horse, ornament, George. 
I have searched the hills of the stormy north. Be 
not forgetful to entertain strangers. By evil report 
and good report. The Lord gave and the Lord hath 
taken away ; blessed be the name of the Lord. 

]STo more the farmer's news, the barber's tale, 
No more the woodman's ballad shall prevail ; 
No more the smith his sooty brow shall clear, 
Relax his pond'rous strength and list to hear. 

EXERCISE XIII. 
Short o, marked o, as in on, represented by a. 
Stop, not, loss, toss, softly, costly, lofty, fossil, god, god- 
dess, often, obsolete, oppose, occur, squalid, squadron, 
halibut. 

Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast, to 
soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak. Othello's occu- 
pation 's gone. A soft answer turneth away wrath. 
And oft when the summer sun shone hot, on the new- 
mown hay in the meadow lot. 

The clock strikes one ! we take no note of time, 
But by its loss. 

EXERCISE XIV. 
Long o, marked o, as in old, == 6+6, represented by oa, 

ou, eau, eu, oo, oiv, au, erv, oe, eo. 
Dome, fold, home, boat, coach, four, source, dough, 
snow, window, shoulder, soldier, solely, whole, beau, 
shew, sew, yeoman, soul, hautboy, toe, door. 



EXERCISES IN A ET ICU L A TIO X . 41 

How it rolls and rolls, 'tis to warn home- bound 
ships off the shoals. I have bought golden opinions 
from all sorts of people. Unfading Hope, when life's 
last embers burn. When soul to soul and dust to dust 
return. 

I have that -within which passeth shew, 
These hut the trappings and the suits of woe. 



EXERCISE XV. 
Long and close o, marked 6, as in move = {u preceded 
by r, and by I preceded by another consonant), repre- 
sented by ow, oe, ivo, ?«', eio, oo, tie. 

Lose, prove, mood, rude, prune, ruby, who, two, smooth, 
moon, fruit, shoe, improve, tomb, remove, bruit, flute, 
yew, rue. 

Who love too much, hate in the like extreme. 
Grand, gloomy, and peculiar, he sat upon the throne. 
She went on a tour to prove that the cool mountain air 
would improve her health. 

EXERCISE XVI 

Short u, marked it, as in but = o, represented by oe, ou 
(ea and io, in the final terminations cean and tion). 

Up, run, muff, such, undone, conduct, son, touch, pious, 
cousin, ocean, notion, covetous, covered, seldom, does. 

This was the most wnkind c«t of all. Spirits are 
not finely toz.'ched, bz^t to fine issues. Here, Skwgg lies 
snwg as a bwg in a rug. The sz^mmer swn gilds old 
ocean's bosom. 
4* 



42 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

EXERCISE XVII. 

Middle or obtuse u, marked u, as in full, represented by 
oo, ou, o. 

Pull, bush, put, foot, wood, good, could, should, cushion, 

cuckoo, sugar, woman, wolsey. 

Except wind stands as never it stood, it is an ill 
wind turns none to good. Would that the cwckoo on 
yonder bush would bring us good tidings. The cushion 
is made of worsted. 

EXERCISE XVIII. 

Long u, marked u, as in use =1+6, represented by u, 

eu, ew, ui, ieu, iew, cau, ue. 

Lute, tune, fume, mute, human, feud, eulogy, dew, 
few, new, sinew, suit, sluice, view, adieu, Tuesday, 
purlieu, beautiful, studious, endure, opportunity, 
articulate, feature, nature, legislature, calculate, 
purview. 

There is a pleasure in the pathless woods ; 

There is a rapture on the lonely shore ; 
There is society where none intrades, 

By the deep sea and music in its roar. 

EXERCISE XIX. 
ou as in our, oiv as in now = o+6. 

Bound, bound, house, mouse, ground, ounce, owl, town, 
shower, growl, allow, coward. 

How ~boived the woods beneath their sturdy stroke. 
Confounding, astownding, dizzying and deafening the 
ear with its roar. Sownd the loud timbrel. The loud 
sownd echoes through the toivn. 



EXERCISES IN AETICULATIOX. 43 

EXERCISE XX. 

oi as in oil, oy as in toy = 5+i. 
Boil, toil, soil, coil, exploit, employ, annoy, joyful, 
oyster. 

The com was void of alloy. Ambition scoffs at useful 
toil and homely joys. Eejo/ce and shout for joy, ye 
men of Angiers. 

Consonant Elements. 
Sub-Vocals. 

EXERCISE I. 
y as in yet = I (very short), represented by y, i, u, j. 

Year, yeast, yeoman, yield, yoke, yonder, banian, bil- 
ious, guide, guest, hallelujah. 

Fe glittering towns, with wealth and plunder crown'd ; 
Fe fields, where summer spreads profusion round ; 
Fe lakes, where vessels catch the busy gale ; 
Fe bending streams, that dress the flowery vale, 
For me your tributary stores combine, 
Creation's tenant, all the world is mine. 

EXERCISE II. 
w as in way = o (very short), represented by w, o 
( IF is silent before r, and sometimes before h, as in 
who, whoop, wrath). 

Wane, wail, wayward, away, awake, unwashed, wanton, 
wicked, assuage, suite, quiet, choir, conquest. 

We would not seek a battle as we are ; 
Nor as we are, we say we will not shun it. 

We wandered where the whirlpool wends its land- 
ing way. 



44 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

EXERCISE III. 
wh as in when = (h+w). 
Whither, which, whirl, wheeze, whence, whistle, 
whisper. 
Whence and what art thou, execrable shape ! 

WJien music, heavenly maid, was young, 
While yet in early Greece she sung. 

EXERCISE IV. 

r as in roll, or trilled r before a vowel. 
Rich, round, rush, ring, rural, rhetoric, library, pro- 
trude, dreary, spirit, ragged, roaring. 

i?end with tremendous sound your ears asunder, 
"With gun, drum, t?nimpet, blunderbuss, and thunder. 

Proud Cumberland prances, insulting the slain. 

The rough and rugged rocks rear their hoary heads 

high in air. 

EXERCISE V. 

r as in far, or smooth r before a consonant. 

Harm, farm, merchant, expire, murmur, warm, rear, 

roar. 

Liberty ! shout for liberty ! shout for liberty ! 

Poor patriots partly purchased, partly pressed. 

EXERCISE VI. 
I as in lull. (It sometimes forms a perfect syllable of 
itself, as in the terminations le, il. In many words 
it is silent, as in baZm, caff.) 
Lily, bell, lullaby, able, middle, evil. 
Zist! Zist! Zist! 
We traveled on a Zevel road of grave Z. 



EXERCISES IX ARTICULATION. 45 

Stand up firm Zy, perpendicular Zy and independently, 
when thou sadd'Zst and brid'Zst the horse. 
Hear the Zoud aZarum beZZs. 

EXERCISE VII. 
z as in azure = zh represented by g, s. 

Seizure, glazier, regime, rouge, composure, derision, 
scission. 

z as in zone = s represented by x, c. 
Zebra, horizon, venison, Xenophon, disease, xebec, 
suffice, sacrifice, usage, grease, leisure. 
Come coz ; come coz ; we stay for you ; a word with 
you coz. 

But thou, O Hope, with eyes so Mr, 
"What was thy delighted measure ? 
Still it whispered promised pleasure. 

EXERCISE VIII. 

th as in then (flat or vocal). 

Though, beneath, thither, paths, bathe, writhe, mouths. 

O thou that vfith surpassing glory crown'd, 
Look'st from tlij sole dominion, like the God 
Of this new world ; — To thee I call. 

EXERCISE IX. 

j as in joy = g (soft). ■ 

Jewel, jeer, gibbet, jostle, gymnast, gesture, gyve, 
bridge, village. 

The jeering and jostling of the village gypsies at 
the sight of the gymnasts' feats were prodigious. 
Most learned judge, I call for justice. 



46 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

EXERCISE X. 

v as in vile, represented by/, ph. 

Yaunt, vivify, valve, of, nephew, Stephen, velvet, 
reviv'dst. 

And thou hast talk'd 
0/ sallies, and retires ; of trenches, tents, 
0/ palisades, frontiers, parapets ; 
0/ basilisks, of cannon, culverin : 
0/ prisoners' ransom, and of soldiers slain. 

EXERCISE XI. 

ng as in sing, nlc as in ink, and n before the sound of 
g, k, or c hard, qu or x. 

Ringing, anguish, stronger, anchor, ankle, conquer, 
uncle, England, larynx, sphinx, blink, shrink. 

Sweet Portia, 
If yon did know to whom I gave the ring, 
If you did know for whom I gave the ring-, 
And would conceive for what I gave the ring, 
And how unwillingly I left the ring, 
When nought woidd be accepted but the ring', 
You would abate the strength of your displeasure. 

And glittering and frittering and gathering and feathering, 
And whitening and brightening and quivering and shivering, 
And hurrying and skurryi?2g and thundering and floundering'. 

EXERCISE XII. 

m as in may. 

Mummy, commencement, monument, mimic, mammal, 
phlegm. 

The communications of the competitors were com- 
pared. 



EXERCISES IN AETICUL ATIOX. 47 

I '11 give my jewels for a set of beads ; 
My gorgeous palace for a heritage ; 
My gay apparel for an almsman's gown; 
My figured goblets for a dish of wood ; 
My sceptre for a palmer's walking-staff; 
My subjects for a pair of carved saints ; 
And my large kingdom for a little grave. 

EXERCISE XIII. 
n as in nine (n is silent when it follows 1, m in same 

syllable, as kiln, hymn). 
Never, ninny, concave, sloven, sudden, seven, kitchen, 
heaven, shovel, chicken. 

"Whoever imagined such an ocean to exist ? Who- 
ever imagined such a ?iotion to exist ? 

Lend, le?id your wings! I mount, I fly! 

EXERCISE XIV. 
g as in gay (hard) is represented by x. 
Guard, giggle, gargle, glimpse, suggest, cognizant, 
exhaust, exhilarate, exotic, exile. 

Are they gone, all ^one from the sunny hill ? 
All that flitters is not grold. 

EXERCISE XV. 

d as in day. 
Deduce, added, wedded, indeed, doubled, addition, 
healed, sealed, dared, adds. 

All that glitters is not gokZ, 
Often have you heard that tokZ; 
Gilded tombs do worms enfolcZ ; 
Had you been as wise as bol<2, 
Young in limbs, in judgment old, 
YoUr answer had not been inscrolVZ; 
Fare you well, your suit is cold. 



48 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

Crowds throngecZ the road through which the con- 
queror passed 

EXERCISE XVI. 

b as in bake {b is silent before t, and after m in same 

syllable, as in lamb, debt). 
Born, bubble, imbibe, abbot, abominable, hubbub, 
robb'd. 

Double, dou&le, toil and trouble, 
Fire &urn and cauldron bubble. 

.Sack, beardless boy ! Jack, minion ! 
"Who can behold such Jeauty and be silent ? 

Aspirates. 
EXERCISE I. 
h as in hat (h is always silent after r, as in rhet- 
oric, also at the beginning of many words, as heir, 
honest). 
Harm, hyphen, vehement, annihilate, human, hostess. 
A hovsQ ! a horse ! my kingdom for a horse ! 

i7bw poor, how rick, how abject, how august, 
How complicate, how wonderful is man! 
Mow passing wonder, ^e who made 7tim such, 
Who center'd in our make suck strange extremes. 

EXERCISE II. 
th as in thin (sharp). (In some words the h is silent, 

as in thyme.) 
Thank, thirsty, truths, breath, youths, growth, fifth, 
method. 

^Aeophilus Thistle, the thrice thrifty bristle sifter, 
in sifting a sieve full of unsifted Castles, thrust three 
^Aousand £/iistles trough the thick of his ^/rnrnb. 



EXERCISES IX ARTICULATION. 49 

And dea^A-shot, falling ^Aick and fast, tinned the 
ranks of thousands. 

EXERCISE III. 

sh as in shun, represented by s, ch, ti, c, ci, ss. 

Show, sheepish, machine, chaise, patient, pshaw, 
oceanic, pronunciation, sure, sugar, sumach, Cassius, 
nescient, nation, glacial. 

Nest anger rush 'd — his eyes on fire, 
In one rude clash he struck the lyre, 
And swept with hurried hand the strings. 

The last shred parted, a sAriek burst upon the air. 
Hush ! hush ! thou vain dreamer ! 

EXERCISE IV. 

s as in sing (sharp like g soft). 

Sister, debase, assistance, seducest, police, cistern, 
cycle, gas, dress, (mouse, use, grease as nouns,) dis- 
place, dissuade, transfix, asthma, hostler. 

/Sam /Slick sawed six sleek, slim saplings for sale. 
He fixed stakes strongly, and the fixed stakes stood. 
/Sleep, gentle sleep, nature's soft nurse, how have I 
frighted thee. 

EXERCISE V. 

f as in fife, represented by ph, gh. 

Fife, full, fifth, enough, phonetics, triumph, draught, 
cough, trough, caliph, phosphorous. 

On every lea/ and every /lower were insects /ound. 
.Few, few shall part where many meet. 
They /ought not /or /ame, but for freedom.. 



50 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

EXERCISE VI. 

h as in kite = c (hard), represented by clc, q, ch, gh. 

Kitten, kindred, cap, cone, chord, chronicle, architect, 

quote, quake, eccentricity, beck, chlorine, lough, 

conch, hough. 

The clumsy, clicking, Mtchen cloc& clicked, clicks, is 

clicking. 

Come bac&, come bac£, my childhood. 

EXERCISE VII. 
t as in tent, represented by eel final, when e is silent. 
Intent, tame, destitute, stopped, stutter, rocked, 
lightest, bright, piqued, yacht, indict. 
A tell-tale, foiling, teasing termagant, tha£ troubled 
all the tewn. 

Trim Tristram Trotter trampled on the ririm trades- 
man's brimming. 

Time and ride wai£ for no man. 

EXERCISE VIII. 
p as in pipe, represented by gh, ph. (It is silent before s 

and t at the beginning of words, as psalm, Ptolemy.) 
Pop, pulp, apple, supple, hiccough, diphthong, triph- 
thong. 
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. 

O, now you weep, and I perceive you feel the dint of joity, 
With disappointment, penury and £>ain. 

EXERCISE IX. 
ch (soft) as in church ; ch (hard) as in chasm. 
Chair, chime, satchel, charity, chorus, chyme, echo, 
school. 

C/iarge, Chester, c7iarge! 

His teeth they cAatter, chatter still. 



CHAPTER V. 

PRONUNCIATION. 

Pronunciation, or Orthoepy, signifies correct speech., 
and includes articulation, or the functions of the organs 
of speech, and accentuation, or laws which polite usage 
and analogy have assigned to words. The correct utter- 
ance of the elementary sounds is the most essential 
element of the formation of words. 

Accent is the force with which We pronounce the 
most prominent syllables of a word, as in ad'-a-mant ; 
the greater force is here given to the first syllable. 
The educated are distinguished from the illiterate by 
their pronunciation of the language they speak. A 
slovenly pronunciation is at once associated with a 
deficiency in the Yerj rudiments of a good education. 
A standard dictionary should always be at hand, and 
the majority of persons will find occasion to make fre- 
quent appeals to it for authority in pronunciation. 

Local peculiarities at variance with general usage 
are so numerous that it is only by exercising great 
caution, and by persevering effort in imitating the best 
models, that the English language can be preserved 
free from impurities. 

There is a class of sounds which form an element 
in the unaccented syllables of many words of more 
than one syllable, which require special attention, in 
order to secure a graceful and elegant pronunciation. 

51 



52 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

These may be designated obscure vocals. 

In " Worcester's Key " they are marked with a dot 
underneath each letter, as a, e, i, etc. This mark may 
indicate an indistinct short sound of the vowel, as 
mental, travel, idol ; or in many cases a long sound, as 
ebony, educate, emerge. 

This mark indicates no particular quality of sound, 
but rather a slight stress of voice in uttering the ap- 
propriate sound of the vowel. 

Correct Usage of Certain Words. 

a as a word is pronounced a, obscure, except when 
emphatic, as, give me a book, not give me a book. 

o in on, toss, God, loss, etc., requires the short o, not 
aumn, tdwus, gawd. 

My, when emphatic and in solemn style, takes the 
long sound of 7; in all other cases short i, as my. 
Myself should never have the long y. 

The is pronounced thi before a vowel, and thu before 
a consonant, as Thi earth is round, TJiu bird has 
flown. 

In such phrases as " not yet" " don't you go" etc., 
great care should be taken not to blend the sounds t 
and y, equivalent to " don choo go" " no-chet." 

The sound of o (o), in to, noon, moon, etc., is fre- 
quently incorrectly given with the sound of u in use : 
as tu, nun, mun. 

The phrase of the, as, " The hour of the day," some- 
times incorrectly given, " The hour o' the day." 

And, in such phrases as " exercise and temperance," 
often incorrectly rendered " exercise an' temperance," 
or, " exercise 'nd temperance." 



PROXUXCI A T I N 



53 



Unaccented Syllables which are often Im- 
perfectly Enunciated. 

Initial. 

In practising the following, give the italic letter 

without prolongation. 

e and o long, slightly obscure. 

Say event', not uvent' ; obey', not iibey'. 

erect behind oblige polite 

elude precede obey pronounce 

erase delight omit horizon 

elect begone opaque colossal 

a, % o (short), slightly obscure. 
Say abode', not abode'. 

abode abash occur divide 

abound obtain convince diverge 

abate collect mmute bitumen 



Middle. 

e, i, o, and u, in middle syllable, often omitted. 
Say ev'ery,.not ev'ry ; fam'zly, not fam'ly ; his'tory, not 
hist'ry ; reg'fdar, not reg'lar. 
literal family a g on J articulate 

several sagacity canopy singtdar 

traveller infirmity memory natriral 

reverence agih'ty ebony educate 

Final. 

able and ably. 
Avoid the too common error of inserting a sound 
like u in up between the b and I of the syllable ble, 
thus, peaceaowZ for peaceao?e. 
5* 



54 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

In the terminations able and ably, preserve the sound 
of short a, as in battle, rendered slightly obscure, 
however, from being unaccented, thus tolerably, not 
tolerably. 

amiable abominable commendably tolerably 

formidable applicable respectably sociably 
agreeable formidably immutably honourably 

ible and ibly. 
Incorrectly enunciated with the u of bubble, for the 

i of nibble, slightly obscure, thus sensible for sensible, 

forcibly for forcibly. 

illegible audible audibly forcibly 

forcible susceptible incredibly intelligibly 
invincible feasible contemptibly invincibly 

ure. 

Say feat'yure, not feach'iir. 

nature measure seizure inclosnre 

creature statwre erasure portraiture 

treasure leisure departure legislature 

tion, sion. 

Say nash'im, not nash'n. Say man'shwn, not mansh'n. 
addition caution confession decision 

institution station subversion perception 

option succession explosion solution 

ess. 
Say need'less, e (short), obscure, not need'liss. 

heed less life less harshness carelessness 

careless fondness • useless life lessness 

kindness gladness goodness heedlessness 



PRONUNCIATION. 55 

ful and fully. 
Say need 'ful, not need'fwll. 

playful beautifully fearful tuneful 

peaceful artfully needful -playful 

fretful hopefully hurtful awful 

ent and ence. 

Say mo'ment, e (short), obscure, not mo'mimt. 
ardent diligence frequent crescent 

convent influence punishment pungent 

fragment eloquence pavement movement 

y short — final. 
Preserve the sound of short i as reverz in revery, 
not the sound of e as revere. 

handy lottery gracefully needfully 

"wealthy forgery hopefully willingly 

livery flattery cheerfully rightfully 

e in final el is generally sounded, though obscure. 
Say nov'e?, not no?/?. 

cance? chape? reve? gospe? 

travel leve? came? chance? 

rebe? mode? squirre? nove? 

Exceptions. 

Grovel, shrivel, shovel, mantel, measels, ravel, 

shekel, swivel, drivel, hazel, weasel, rivel, snivel, 

navel, ousel. 

en. 

e in final en is generally silent. 

sev'n gold'n elev'n froz'n 

heav'n molt'n ev'n burd'n 

giv'n gard'n quick'n doz'n 



56 



A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 



Exceptions. 
Chicken, hyphen, aspen, marten, sudden, mitten, si- 
ren, platen, patten, kitchen, abdomen, acumen, bitu- 
men, catechumen, hymen, latten, legumen, linen, omen, 
pollen, regimen, sloven, specimen, ticken, woollen, 
women, cerumen. 

o and ow final. 
Say pota'to, not pota'tit. 



borrow 


window 


mellow? 


merino 


meadow; 


follow? 


mosquito 


willow 


pillow 



sm, lm, rm. 
Avoid inserting a sound like u in but, between the 

m and the sound which precedes it, as chaswm for 

chasm. 

spasm phantasm overwhelm film 

criticism exorcism alarm elm 

fanaticism chasm disarm storm 



r after a vowel. 

Say farm, not faw?m. 

farm rampart market liberty 

born depart lordly disorder 

forlorn murmur orphan heartily 



CHAPTER VI. 

PAUSES. 

In pronouncing a word of more than one syllable, 
we naturally make a slight, perhaps almost impercep- 
tible pause between the syllables ; otherwise, the word 
would be a succession of meaningless sounds : thus, in 
the word nat-u-ral-ly, we have four syllables, each 
group or syllable being detached from the others by a 
slight pause. 

In communicating thought by a succession of words, 
pauses are still more necessary between the parts of a 
sentence. 

Pauses are the intervals observed between words, 
clauses, sentences, and paragraphs, which serve to 
make the meaning intelligible. 

Another distinct office of the pause, as associated 
with the time or movement as an element of expression, 
is to give greater force to emotional utterance. 

Awe and solemnity require slow movement and 
long pauses. 

Joy and cheerfulness, quick movement and short 
pauses. 

Pauses may be divided into grammatical, rhetor- 
ical, and emphatic. 

The first indicate the syntactical relation of words 
and clauses, and are addressed to the eye. 

The second indicate the relations between rhetorical 

57 



58 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

divisions of the discourse, and are determined by the 
meaning and the ear. These pauses may, or may not 
correspond to the first in giving expression to speech. 
The emphatic pause is very effective before em- 
phatic words, sometimes before and after an emphatic 
word or phrase, as in the following example. (The 
pause is marked with a dash.) 

Example. Ye know too well the story of our thral- 
dom ; we are — slaves. The bright sun rises to his 
course and lights — a race of slaves ; he sets, and his 
last beam falls — on a slave. 

The shades of thought and feeling are so varied that 
no exact rule can be given for the length of pauses. 
The prevailing sentiment and emotion must be the 
guide. 

General Directions for Pauses. 

I. General heads of discourse require longer pauses 
between them than subordinate ones ; subordinate heads 
longer than paragraphs ; paragraphs than sentences • and 
sentences than words, phrases, and clauses. 

II. In narrative, didactic, and descriptive selections, 
pauses are of moderate length. 

III. In grave, solemn, pathetic selections, the pauses are 
long. 

IV. In joyous, animated, spirited selections, the pauses 
are short. 

Y. Pause after the subject of a sentence when it con- 
sists of several words, or of one word, if it be important. 

Example. Knowledge | is power. 

Example. The cheap defence of nations, the nurse 
of manly sentiment and heroic enterprise.] is gone. 



PAUSES. 59 

VI. Any member of a sentence occurring between the 
subject and predicate, is separated by a pause. 

Example. Nymph | in thy orisons | 

Be all my sins remembered. 

Example. This | though, it may make the unskilful 
laugh [ cannot but make the judicious grieve. 

VII. After words in apposition or opposition to each 
other. 

Example. Sleep | gentle sleep | 

Nature's soft nurse | how have I frighted thee. 

Example. Some place their bliss in action | some — in ease; 
Those | call it pleasure, and contentment— these. 

VIII. Pause before a preposition, a relative pronoun, 
conjunction, an adverb, and before the infinitive mood. 

Example. What a piece | of work is man ! How 
noble | in reason ! how infinite | in faculties ! in form 
and moving | how express and admirable ! In ac- 
tion | how like an angel ! in apprehension | how like 
a god ! 

Example. The look | that spoke gladness and wel- 
come was gone. The blaze | that shone bright in the 

hall was no more. 

Example. Who would not wish to be from wealth exempt, 
Since riches point to misery | and contempt. 

Example. I speak | as to wise men : judge ye what 
I say. 

Example. What eye has been permitted | to see ; 
what ear | to hear; what heart | to conceive those 



60 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

things which God has in preparation for such as love 
Him? 

IX. Pause after the nominative independent. 

Example. O liberty ! | liberty ! | how many crimes 
are committed in thy name. 

Example. These are thy glorious works, Parent of good, | 
Almighty, | thine this universal frame. 

X. Pause before and after an adjective and before a 
participle following the word which it limits, and between 
the parts of a sentence that can be transposed. 

Example. From pavement | rough, or frozen ground, 
The engine's rattling wheels resound. 

Example. To an American | visiting Europe, the 
long voyage he has to make is an excellent pre- 
parative. 

Example. "With many a weary sigh and heavy groan, 

Up a high hill | he heaves a huge round stone. 

Determine the Pauses in the Following. 

All floats on the .surface of that river, which with 
swift current is running towards a boundless ocean. 

The price of improvement is labor. 

That course if persevered in will secure the prize. 

The experience of want enhances the value of 
plenty. 

Eemember thy Creator in the days of thy youth. 

His highest enjoyment was to relieve the distressed. 

O ! sacred Truth ! thy triumph ceased awhile, 
And Hope, thy sister, ceased with thee to smile. 

The sentence is terrible, it is — death. 



PAUSES. 61 

This castle hath a pleasant seat ; the air doth nimbly 
and sweetly recommend itself unto our gentle senses. 

It is more blessed to give than to receive. 

The man is an artist undoubtedly ; his specimens, I 
think fine in the extreme. 

To die — to sleep — 
Ko more ; and by a sleep, to say we end 
The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks 
That flesh is heir to ; 'tis a consummation 
Devoutly to be wished ! 
7 



CHAPTER VII. 

INFLECTIONS, OR SLIDES, AND CADENCE. 

Inflection, in Elocution, signifies the sliding of the 
voice upward or downward, upon a sound or syl- 
lable, as in the question, Is it true ? the voice slides 

upward on the sound u. In the answer, Yes, the voice 
slides downward on the vowel e. 

Without inflections, reading and speech become life- 
less or monotonous, and language is divested of its 
true meaning and force ; while an excessive use of 
inflections renders the utterance harsh and formal. 

The application of the falling inflection is based on 
force and completeness of thought ; the rising inflec- 
tion on incompleteness of thought or suspension of sense. 

Diatonic slides indicate whole tones. 

(The term diatonic is used for convenience, though we can- 
not, in speaking, as in singing, fix any exact scale or limit for 
the voice.) 

The slides of the voice, up or down, must be deter- 
mined by the meaning, and by the force and intensity 
of emotion. 

In unimpassioned utterance, the voice slides throiigh 
short intervals, or perhaps one tone ; as, I did not say 

blame, but fame. 

62 



INFLECTIONS, OR SLIDES. 63 

In strong emotion, the slides are strongly marked ; 
the voice sometimes extending through a fifth or oc- 
tave, upward or downward. 

The following diagrams will serve to illustrate the 
comparative length of slides in the utterance of vary- 
ing emotions: 



/ / / A, I illustrating rising inflections. 
Ah ah ah all j ° ° 

The first, or slide of a tone, may characterize all 
language of simple inquiry, suspension of sense, ad- 
dress, and unimpassioned sentiment. The second, or 
slide of a third, may apply to earnest inquiry, sur- 
prise, etc. The third, or slide of a fifth, to wonder. 
The fourth, or slide of an octave, to extreme surprise 
or astonishment. 

-isjX ^ \ c illustrating downward inflections. 
INO no no no j & 

The slide indicated by the two shortest marks in 
the above illustrations, may be called short, or unim- 
passioned ; the others long, or emotional slides. 

The Semitonic slides indicate half tones, and charac- 
terize expressions of grief, sorrow, pity, pathos, etc., 
and are illustrated by the acute and grave accents (' v ). 

The Circumflex, or Wave, is the double inflection on 
the same sound, and expresses irony, sarcasm, raillery, 
mirth, humor, and wit, and is marked thus, (A), (V). 

In its subdued form the wave is effective in mark- 
ing close distinctions of sense ; also in imparting to 
sublime and elevated sentiments an additional dig- 
nity and power, in which form, care must be taken 
that it be not used to excess. 



64 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

The Monotone prevails in expressing emotions of 
grandeur, vastness, and power, or when the speaker 
is supposed to be incapable of human passion, as a 
spiritual being or ghost, and is marked thus ( " ). It 
must not' be confounded with monotony. Monotone 
means absence of slides, but not necessarily unvary- 
ing pitch. 

The Rising Inflection is Applied : 
1st. To direct inquiry, except ivhen repeated for em- 
phasis. 

Example. Are you sick, Hubert ? 

Example. What ! looked he frowningly ? 

2d. To incompleteness of thought, expression of a con- 
dition, and suspension of sense. 

Example. Destitute of resources, he fled in disguise. 

Example. If Christ be not risen, then is our preach- 
ing vain, and your faith is also vain. 

Example. Your enemies may be formidable by their 

numbers and their power ; but He who is with you 
is mightier than they. 

3d. To address and apostrophe, when not solemn or 
emphatic. 

Example. Sir, we have done everything that could 
be done to avert the storm that is now coming on. 

Example. And I have loved thee, ocean ! 

e. But thou, O hope, with eyes so fair, 
What was thy delighted measure? 



INFLECTIONS, OR SLIDES. Go 

4th. Repetition of another's words, expressing incre- 
dulity or surprise. 

Example. What ! surrender on terms so dishonor- 
able? 

Example. If it be, 

"Why seems it so particular with thee ? 

Seems, madam ! nay, it is ; I know not seems. 

5th. To the last member of a commencing series ; and 
next to the last member of a concluding series. 

Example. The young, the healthy, and the prosper- 
ous should not presume on their advantages. 

Example. True gentleness teaches us to bear one 
another's burdens ; to rejoice with those that rejoice ; 
to weep with those who weep ; to be kind and tender- 
hearted ; to be pitiful and courteous ; and be patient 
towards all men. 

6th. To negative ideas. 

Example. Labor not for the meat that perisheth ; 
but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting 
life. 

Example. Lady, you utter madness, and not sorrow. 

7th. To poetical thoughts, either in prose or poetry 

Example. "When Music, heavenly maid ! was young, 

While yet in early Greece she sung, 

The Passions oft, to hear her shell, 
Thronged around her magic cell ; 
6* E 



66 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

Exulting, trembling, raging, fainting, 

Possessed beyond the muse's painting ; 

By turns tbey felt the glowing mind 

/ 
Disturbed, delighted, raised, refined; 

Till once, 't is said, when all were fired, 

Filled with fury, rapt, inspired, 

From the supporting myrtles round 
They snatched her instruments of sound ; 

And, as they oft had heard apart 

Sweet lessons of her forceful art, 

Each, for Madness ruled the hour, 
"Would prove his own expressive power. 

Exceptions to any of the preceding rules may occur 
in cases of marked emphasis. 

The Falling Inflection is Applied : 
1st. To the indirect question. 

Example. When do you go to town ? 

Example. "What is it that gentlemen wish? what 

would they have ? 

2d. To completeness of thought. 

Example. Nothing in man's wonderful nature can 
be more wonderful or mysterious than his gift of 

memory. 

Example. Let your companions be select ; let them 



INFLECTIONS, OR SLIDES. 67 

be such, as you can love for their good qualities, and 
whose virtues you are desirous to emulate. 

3d. To positive thoughts. 

Example. He was an enemy, not a friend. 

4th. To the language of command, of abrupt exclama- 
tion, denunciation, wonder, declaration, courage, calling, 
shouting, and all fervid emotion and forcible expression. 

Denunciation. 

Example. Woe! woe! to the riders that trample them down. 

Command. 

Example. Arm! arm! it is, it is the cannon's opening roar! 

Calling. 

Example. Up drawbridge, groom ! What, warder, ho ! 
Let the portcullis fall ! 

Wonder. 

Example. Where should this music be ? I' th' air, 
or i' th' earth ? 

Impatience. 

Example. Alas, the day ! What shall I do with my 
doublet and hose ? What did he, when thou saw'st 
him ? What said he ? How look'd he ? Wherein 
went he ? How parted he with, thee ? And when 
shalt thou see him again ? Answer me in one word. 



68 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

Anger. 

Example. Hear me, recreant ! on thine allegiance, 
hear me. 

Hatred. 

Example. How like a fawning publican he looks ! 
I hate him, for he is a Christian ! 

5th. To repetition of emphatic clause and words. 

Example. Yes, Athenians, I repeat it. You, your- 
selves, are the contrivers of your own ruin. 

Application of Both Inflections. 

1st. Contrasted words take opposite slides. 

Example. A friend cannot be known in prosperity, 
and an enemy cannot be hidden in adversity. 



Example. Not that I loved Cassar less, but Eome 
more. 

2d. Words preceding the conjunction ' or ' take the 
rising inflection; words following, the falling infection. 

/ \ •/ \ / \ 

Sink or swim, live or die, survive or perish, I give 

my hand and my heart to this vote. 

The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of 



INFLECTIONS, OR SLIDES. 69 

Upward CireLimflex. 

Scorn. 

V 

Example. To ask him for a favor! I scorn it. 

Downward Circumflex. 

A 
Example. A second Daniel, a Daniel, Jew; 

A 

Now, Infidel, I have thee on the hip. 
Reproach. 

A 

Example. Hamlet, you have your father much offended. 

A A 

Mother, you have my father much offended. 
Subdued Wave or Circumflex. 

Solemnity. 

• A A 

Leaves have their time to fall, 

A A 

And flowers to wither at north wind's breath, 

A A 

And stars to set, — but all, 

A A A 

Thou hast all seasons tor thine own, O Death ! 
The Distinctive Wave. 

A 

The day lias been considered as an image of the 

A V .A 

year, and a year as the representation of life. The 

A A V A 

morning answers to the spring, and spring to child- 

A A A 

hood and youth ; the noon corresponds to the summer, 

V A 

and the summer to the strength of manhood. The 

A. A V 

evening is an emblem of autumn, and autumn of 



70 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

A A 

declining life. The night, with its silence and dark- 

A 
ness, shows the winter, in which all the powers of vege- 

A V 

tation are benumbed, and the winter points out the 

A 
time when life shall cease, with its hopes and pleasures. 

The Monotone. 

Awe and Reverence. 

Example. Bless the Lord, 

and all that is within me, 
my soul ; 

bless his 

holy name. 

Horror and Gloom. 
Example. I could a tale unfold, whose lightest word 

Would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood, 
Make thy two eyes like stars start from their spheres, 
Thy knotted and combined locks to part, 
And each particular hair to stand on end, 
Like quills upon the fretful porcupine. 

Upward Semitonie Slides. 

Weakness and Pathos. 
Give me three grains of corn, mother, 

Only three grains of corn ; 
It will keep the little life I have 

Till the coming of the morn. 

Downward Semitonie Slides. 

Pity and Grief. 

0, I have suffered 
With those that I saw suffer! a brave vessel, 
Who had, no doubt, some noble creatures in her, 
Dash'd all to pieces. O, the cry did knock 
Against my very heart ! Poor souls ! they perish'd. 



INFLECTIONS, OR SLIDES. 71 

" Had I been any god of power, I would 
Have sunk the sea within the earth, or e'er 
It should the good ship so have swallowed, and 
The freighting souls within her. 

Analyze the Following Examples, and 
Apply Correct Inflections : 

1. To arms ! they come : the Greek ! the Greek ! 

2. We must fight — I repeat it, sir, we must fight. 

3. Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God 
Almighty ! 

4. A countenance more in sorrow than in anger. 

5. Who 's here so base that he would be a bond- 
man ? 

6. How accomplish it ? Certainly not by never at- 
tempting it. 

7. Lily bells! lily bells! swinging and ringing : 
Sweet golden bells on the still summer air, 
Are ye calling the birds to their matins of singing, 
Summoning ^Nature to worship and prayer ? 

8. Mankind are besieged by war, famine, pestilence, 
volcano, storm, and fire. 

9. Eloquence is action — noble, sublime, godlike ac- 
tion. 

10. Milton is the most sublime, and Homer- the most 
picturesque. 

11. Yalor, humanit} 7 -, courtesy, justice, and honor 
were the characteristics of chivalry. 

12. 0, my son Absalom ! my son, my son Absalom ! 

13. Know ye not, brethren (for I speak to them 
that know the law), how the law hath dominion over 
a man as long as he liveth ? 

14. And Elijah mocked the priests of Baal, and 
said : Cry aloud, for he is a God ; either he is talk- 



72 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

ing, or lie is pursuing, or lie is on a journey, or, per- 
adventure, he sleepeth and must be awaked. 

15. Holy ! holy ! holy ! Lord God of Sabaoth. 

16. You blocks, you stones, you worse than sense- 
less things. 

17. And were I an American, as I am an English- 
man, while a single foreign- troop was landed in my 
country, / never would lay down my arms ; never, 
never, NEVEK! 

18. Saw who? 

My lord, the king, your father. 
The Tcing? my father f 

19. Mr. Chairman, I call on your interference to put 
a stop to this uproar. 

20. Oh, but he paused upon the brink ! 

21. If we would be truly happy, we must be actively 
useful. 

22. Did you not hear it ? 

No ! 't was but the wind, 
Or the car rattling o'er the stony street. 

23. Oh, sacred truth ! thy triumph ceased awhile. 

24. Take heed ! take heed ! 
They will fly with speed, 
Tor I 've just new-strung my bow ; 
My quiver is full, and if oft I pull, 
Some arrow may hit, you know. 

25. "I've seen it, sir, as well as you, 
And must again aflirrn it blue. 
At leisure I the beast surveyed, 
Extended in the cooling shade." 
"'Tis green, 'tis green, sir, I assure ye." 
" Green ! " cried the other, in a fury. 



INFLECTIONS, OR SLIDES. 73 

"Why, sir. d'ye think I've lost my eyes?" 
'"T were no great loss," the friend replies; 
"For if they always serve you thus, 
You '11 find 'em Lnt of little use." 

Cadence. 

Cadence is the closing tone of a sentence, and, when 
properly nsed, implies a completion of the sense. 

It is among the chief sources of variety and har- 
mony in speech, and forms a chaste ornament in 
reading. Much of the formal, tedious, unmeaning 
reading is due to a uniform and mechanical use of 
cadence, or perhaps to the absence of it, which pro- 
duces the effect of a wandering tone at the end of a 
sentence. 

The too prevalent idea that the voice must fall at a 
period is false. The inflection at the close of a sen- 
tence must be determined by the sense ; thus, in the 
following sentence : 

It is not with finite beings like ourselves that we 
hold intercourse. The negative character of the 
thought, which implies, a contrast, requires an upward 
slide as the final tone. 

Cadence applies, then, only to the completion of a 
thought, which requires for its true expression a down- 
ward slide. 

In the utterance of forcible emotion, the cadence 
is abrupt ; in gentle expressions it is gradual and mod- 
erate. 

One of the most frequent faults in the application 

of the cadence is heard in the continually recurring 

minor or semitonic slide at the end of every clause and 

sentence. Another serious fault is the abrupt fall of 

7 



74 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

the voice upon the last ivord of every sentence. A third 
is the too gradual fall of the voice from the beginning 
to the close of a sentence. 

Attention to the thought and meaning of what is read, 
together with judicious selections for practice, will do 
much to remove such faults. 

Examples Illustrating Errors in Cadence. 

Minor Cadence. 



Kejoice ! you men of Angiers ; ring your bells :\ 
King John, your king and England's, doth approach ;\ 
Open your gates, and give the victors way.\ 

Abrupt Cadence. 



Romans, countrymen, and lovers ;j hear me for my 
cause, and be silent, that you may hear :| believe me 
for mine honor, and have respect for mine honor, 
that you may believe :| censure me in your wisdom, 
and awake your senses, that you may the better judge.) 



Gradual Cadence. 

Yes, Athenians, I repeat it : 
You, 

yourselves, 

are the contrivers 

of your own 

ruin. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

EMPHASIS. 

Emphasis is to the ear what color is to the eye ; it 
gives light and shade, the great relief and variety in 
speech. 

Emphasis denotes the manner in which a word, 
phrase, or clause is made prominent in a sentence, and 
is effected in various ways. It is the application of 
emphasis that decides the meaning of what is read or 
spoken. 

In the sentence, Did Brutus kill Caesar in the 
senate ? the meaning may be entirely changed ac- 
cording to the word emphasized ; as, 

Did Brutus kill Caesar in the senate ? 

Did Brutus kill Caesar in the senate ? 

Did Brutus kill Csesar in the senate ? 

Did Brutus kill Caesar in the senate 1 

Emphasis is closely allied to inflection, as every 
emphatic word has a distinctive inflection ; but it 
properly implies a knowledge of all the principles 
which relate to expression in speech ; as one or many 
may be requisite to produce the desired effect. 

A whisper even may make a word emphatic. 

A pause before, or before and after a word, is a very 
effective means of emphasis. 

A thorough mastery of the thought and emotion, em- 
bodied in the language, is the only sure means of 
determining the emphatic word or words. 

75 



76 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

The two distinguishing features of emphasis may 
be classed as — Emphasis of Sense and Emphasis of 
Emotion. 

The former is based on the antithesis of words or 
ideas, and may be expressed or understood. 

The latter is based on strong feeling, and must be 
determined by the conception and taste of the reader. 

Emphasis of Sense. 

Contrast Expressed. 

Example. The young are slaves to novelty ; the old, 
to custom. 

Example. The children of this world marry and are 
given in marriage ; but they that shall be accounted 
worthy to obtain that world neither marry nor are 
given in marriage. 

Example. It is a custom more honored in the breach, 
than in the observance. 

Example. I come to bury Csesar, not to praise him. 

Example. As Cassar loved me, I weep for him ; as he 
was fortunate, I rejoice at it ; as he was valiant, I honor 
him ; but as he was ambitious, I slew him. There are 
tears for his love ; joy for his fortune; honor .for his 
valor, and death for his ambition. 

Contrast Implied. 

Example. Common calamities and common blessings, 
fall heavily upon the envious. 

Example. Slight are the outward signs of evil 
thought. 

Example. "We receive such repeated intimations of 
decay in the world through which we are passing ; de- 
cline and change, and loss follow decline, and change 



EMPHASIS. 77 

and loss in such rapid succession, that we can almost 
catch the sound of universal wasting, and hear the 
work of desolation going on busily around us. 

Emphasis of Emotion. 

Imprecation. 

Example. Accursed be the fagots that blaze at his feet, 

"Where his heart shall be thrown ere it ceases to beat. 

Joy and Exultation. 

Example. Awake ! awake ! put on thy strength, 
O Zion ; put on thy garments, O Jerusalem, the holy 

city. 

Bold Command. 

On them, -hussars! in thunder on them wheel. 

Rapture. 

Hark ! they whisper, — angels say, 
"Sister spirit! come away! " 

Terror. 

"The foe! they come! they come!" 

Impassioned Interrogation. 

Who is here so base that he would be a bondman ? 
If any, speak ; for him have I offended. Who is 
here so rude that would not be a Roman ? If any, 
speak ; for him have I offended. Who is here so 
vile that would not love his country ? If any, speak ; 
for him have I offended. I pause for a reply. 

Test Exercise on Inflections and E?7^hasis. 
Charity. 

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of an- 
gels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding 
brass, or a tinkling cvmbal. 



78 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and un- 
derstand all mysteries, and all knowledge ; and though 
I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and 
have not charity, I am nothing. 

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the 
poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and 
have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. 

Charity suffereth long, and is kind ; charity envi- 
eth not ; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 

Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her 
own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil ; 

Eejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth ; 

Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all 
things, endureth all things. 

Charity never faileth : but whether there be proph- 
ecies, they shall fail ; whether there be tongues, they 
shall cease ; whether there be knowledge, it shall van- 
ish away. 

For we know in part, and Ave prophesy in part. 

But when that which is perfect is come, then that 
which is in part shall be clone away. 

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I under- 
stood as a child, I thought as a child ; but when I be- 
came a man, I put away childish things. 

For now we see through a glass, darkly ; but then 
face to face : now I know in part ; but then shall I 
know even as also I am known. 

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three ; 
but the greatest of these is charity. 



CHAPTER IX. 

THOUGHT ANALYSIS OF UNIMPASSIONED 
LANGUAGE, 

A thorough mastery of the meaning and sentiment 
of the written language is essential to a correct ap- 
plication of the principles of expression embodied in 
Part I. 

Note the special incidents in narration, objects in de- 
scription, or subjects in the didactic and argumentative 
styles ; give the etymology and derivation of words^ 

Begin at the end of a sentence, so as to prevent the 
possibility of reading negligently. 

Sound the vocals in each word. 

Articulate the subvocals in each word. 

Articulate the aspirates in each word. 

Enunciate the syllables in each word. 

Pronounce each word correctly. 

Make a list of the difficult words for a drill exercise. 

Eead each sentence with reference to pauses. 

Eead each sentence with special attention to inflec- 
tion and emphasis. 

Lastly, combine all these elements, and read with an 
easy, fluent enunciation, so as to express the meaning 
clearly and intelligibly. 

THE RHINE. 

" My second day upon the Ehine was more interest- 
ing than my first. The scenery was wilder ; the castles 



80 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

were gloomier. The rush, of water was more rapid, 
and in a narrower bed, through narrower defiles. 

" An excellent road runs all along the banks of the 
river, at the foot of the mountains. The Englishman's 
coach was often seen upon it. The bugle of the Prus- 
sian postilion would sound now and then, and echo 
from hill to hill. Here and there was a cross, with 
some woman kneeling at its foot. The church -bell 
would strike at times ; the drum of the soldier was 
often rolled. Here, a chateau ; there, the thickly 
clustering vineyards. Here, peeping over the cliffs 
on the plains above, the rich, golden harvests waving 
in the breeze ; and there, the hills feathered with little 
trees. Now the Ehine would branch off into the broad 
lake in quiet beauty, and, pent up among the moun- 
tains, hiding its ingress and egress too, quite deceive 
you ; and anon it would foam, and fret, and chafe, in 
anger, as it were, that it was passing in such a wild 
defile. 

"Glorious river ! glorious in fact, and in fancy, too. 
Of all the things around, thou art alone unchanged. 
Castles have fallen ; nations have thrown their flags 
upon thy cliffs ; war has often vexed thy bosom ; but 
thou art the same as ever, in perpetual youth and 
beauty ; and one does not marvel why feudal lord 
and fiery chief should seek thy sweet repose. 

" The ancient fort of Eheinfeltz is now in view. The 
best comment I can make upon it is — none at all; for 
silence often speaks what words cannot. Wilder and 
wilder the country is. An enormous rock, called Lur- 
leyburg, is on our left. A curious echo is here. Some 
workmen on the road blew a blast on the bugle, to 



THOUGHT ANALYSIS. 81 

astonish us. Our Captain fired off' a small piece of can- 
non ; the boatmen of the Rhine were crying, ' Lore-lei, 
Lore-lei ! ' invoking the water spirit that has domain 
here ; and ' Lore-lei ' responds from her rocky mouths. 
" The Rhine seems, to have been formed for the pur- 
pose of charming the eye, in exhibiting delightful con- 
trasts. As you begin your voyage towards its source, 
all is dull ; and your expectations are badly damped. 
All at once comes the Drachenfelz, and ruin and ragged 
cliff. Then the wild passes, of which I have written, 
with their whirlpools and wilderness of rocks ; and 
then, as you have had enough of this, the Rhinegau 
opens with the panorama of everything you have seen 
before, specimens of each, all grouped for one glance 
of the eye. "Wealth, taste, power, rank, in all times, 
have sought a home within the Rhinegau, or near 
about it." 

QUESTIONS. 

What is the character of the above extract ? Is it narrative or de- 
scriptive ? Is it lively or grave ? Is it beautiful or sublime ? 

What is the general character of the inflections? Of the emphasis ? 
Where make the pauses in first paragraph, and why ? 

Locate and describe the Rhine. What is a castle ? Define the bed 
of a river; a defile. Who is a postilion? What religion would you 
infer prevailed in France, from the expression " here and there was a 
cross," etc. ? 

Describe a chateau; meaning of the phrase "thickly clustering vine- 
yards;" of " ingress and egress ; " of " anon." 

What sentiments characterize the third paragraph ? Why " glorious 
in fact"? 

In fourth paragraph give some account of the Lore-lei. 

Give meaning of feudal. What inflections on wealth, taste, power, 
rank? 



CHAPTER X. 

REGISTERS OF THE VOICE. 

The speaking voice is confined to two registers, 
viz., Chest and Falsetto. The chest register may be 
divided into first and second. The limits of these 
registers are determined by the position and action of 
the membranes, cartilages, and muscles of the larynx. 
The changes in these movements are found to take 
place at fixed points in the musical scale, differing in 
the male and female voice, except at the transition 
from upper chest to falsetto, which is alike in both. 

A voice properly formed in the various registers, 
either in speaking or singing, will never become 
strained or weary from use. The bad results of an 
undue forcing of the registers, or a perverted action 
of the muscles of the throat, as exemplified in the 
voices of many public speakers and teachers, whose 
voices have become " worn out," as they say, and 
whose physical health is "broken down." 

In producing the chest tones, especially the lower 
chest, a large column of breath is necessary. The 
larynx is depressed, thus acting upon the rings of the 
trachea, tending to widen them, and the cavity of the 
throat is made as open as possible. The whole vocal 
apparatus is brought into action, and the voice seems 



REGISTERS OF THE VOICE. 83 

to come from the lowest part of the lungs, whereas it 
is the deep resonance which causes this sensation. In 
producing the Falsetto Eegister, the larynx is in its 
natural position, the cavity of the throat is somewhat 
contracted, and the resonance is perceived in the 
mouth and head. 

(The term "Falsetto " is used in the same sense as in musical 
nomenclature.) 

The main points to be observed in learning to pro- 
duce tones in the various registers are : 

1st. Proper position. 

2d. Control of the breathing. 

3d. Control of the palate and organs of throat and 
mouth. 

4th. Right direction of vocal current. 

The Falsetto and the higher tones of the second chest, 
are used in expressing pity, tenderness, tranquillity, 
cheerfulness, animation, humor, calling, etc., in unim- 
passioned narration, and description, and in didactic 
forms of composition. 

The Second Chest Register is used in expressions of 
repose, solemnity, and pathos, united with grandeur 
or sublimity, joy, adoration, reverence, courage, com- 
mand, majesty, power, etc., etc. 

The First Chest Register is used in expressions of 
awe, deep solemnity, horror, melancholy, and gloom, etc. 

Forms of Utterance. 

Effusive utterance implies an easy, gentle emission 
of the voice ; little breath is required. 

Expulsive utterance demands an energetic action of 



84 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

the muscles which control the breath. The voice is 
fall and ample in volume, and in its fullest effects is 
one of the grandest functions of which it is capable. 

It applies to declamatory and impassioned styles of 
language ; to shouting and calling. 

The explosive utterance implies a sudden, violent 
action of the abdominal muscles, by which a large 
column of breath is forced against the lips of the 
glottis, producing a clear, sharp, cutting tone. It is 
the language of the boldest and intensest passions. 

This utterance serves to give depth and rotundity 
to the voice. 

Practise the following : 

Inhale the breath, hold the consonant sound for an 
instant, then burst upon the vocal sounds with a quick 
percussive stroke of the voice, 

Ba, Be, Bl, Bo, Bo. 

Da, De, Dl, Do, Do. 

Ga, Ge, Gi, Go, G5. 

Sing the melody on page 85 in the registers in 
which it is written to syllables ko, ro, la, spring. 



REGISTERS OF THE VOICE. 



85 




86 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

The following selections, in connection with the 
singing exercise, page 85, may very appropriately be 
practised as a mechanical exercise for acquiring com- 
mand over the registers of the voice. 

Falsetto and Second Chest. 

EFFUSIVE UTTERANCE. 

Subdued Force. 
PITY AND TENDERNESS. 

"I wandered on, scarce knowing where I went, 
Till I was seated on an infant's grave. 
Alas ! I knew the little tenant well ; 
She was one of a lovely family, 
That oft had clung around me like a wreath 
Of flowers, the fairest of the maiden spring. 
It was a new-made grave, and the green sod 
Lay loosely on it ; yet affection there 
Had reared the stone, her monument of fame. 
I read the name I loved to hear her lisp : — 
T Avas not alone ; hut every name was there 
That lately echoed through that happy dome." 
Moderate Force. 
JOAN OF ARC. 

" What is to be thought of her ? What is to be 
thought of the poor shepherd girl from the hills and 
forests of Lorraine, who rose suddenly out of the quiet, 
out of the safety, out of the religious inspiration of 
deep pastoral solitudes to a station in the van of armies, 
and to the more perilous station at the right hand of 
kings?" 

EXPULSIVE. 
Sustained Force or Calling. 
" O captain of the Moorish hold, 
Unbar thy gates to me ! 
And I will give thee gems and gold, 
To set Fernando free." 



REGISTERS OF THE VOICE. 87 

Gay or Brisk Style. 

"Last came Joy's ecstatic trial, 
He with viny crown advancing, 
First to the lively pipe his hand addressed ; 
But soon he saw the brisk, awaking viol, 
Whose sweet, entrancing voice he loved the best." 

Humorous or Playful Style. 
ARTIFICIAL EDUCATION. 

"Thus education (so called in our schools), 
With costly materials and capital tools, 
Sits down to her work, if you duly reward her. 
And sends it home finished, according to order." 

Second Chest. 

EFFUSIVE UTTERANCE. 
Pathos and Sublimity. 

"Roll on, thou deep and dark blue ocean, roll, 
Ten thousand fleets sweep over thee in vain; 
Man marks the earth with ruin ; his control 
Stops with the shore ! Upon the watery plain 
The wrecks are all thy deed ; nor doth remain 
A shadow of man's ravage, save his own. 
When, for a moment, like a drop of rain, 
He sinks into thy depths with bubbling groan, 
Without a grave, unknelled, uncoffined, and unknown." 

EXPULSIVE. 
Declamatory Style. 

" The war is actually begun ! The next gale that 
sweeps from the North will bring to our ears the clash 
of resounding arms ! Our brethren are already in the 
field. Why stand we here idle ? What is it that gen- 
tlemen wish ? What would they have ? Is life so 
dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price 
of chains and slavery ? Forbid it, Heaven ! I knew 



88 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

not what course others may take, but as for me, give 
me liberty, or give me death! 1 " 1 

Shouting. 

" Ye guards of liberty, 
I 'ru with you once again ! I call to yon 
With all my voice ; I hold my hands to you, 
To show they still are free ! I rush to yon 
As though I could embrace you ! " 

EXPLOSIVE. 
Terror. 

" Ah ! what is that flame which now bursts on his eye ? 
Ah ! what is that sound which now larums his ear? 
'T is the lightning's red glare, painting wrath on the sky ; 
'T is the crash of the thunder, the groan of the sphere ! " 

Courage and Command. 
"Strike! till the last armed foe expires; 
Strike ! for your altars and your fires ; 
Strike ! for the green graves of your sires — 
God and your native land ! " 

First Chest. 

EFFUSIVE UTTERANCE. 
Awe, extending to Fear. 
" It thunders ! Sons of dust, in reverence bow ! 
Ancient of days ! thou speakest from above ; 
Thy right hand wields the bolt of terror now : 

That hand which scatters peace and joy and love. 
Almighty ! trembling like a timid child, 

I hear thy awful voice, — alarmed, afraid, 
I see the flashes of thy lightning wild, — 
And in the very grave would hide my head ! " 



PAET II. 
^mt* ami JpfrMatijro* 



Part I. treats of single tones, as related to quality, pure or im- 
pure ; and to those modifications of voice used in the expression of 
thought. In Part II. we consider the tones as expressive of passion 
or emotion, and considered singly as possessing the three properties : 
first, Foece ; second, Pitch ; third, Kate. 

The force or strength of the tone depends upon the breadth of 
its vibrations; the pitch, upon the number of its vibrations; the 
rate, upon the quantity of vocal sounds, as long or short. 



CHAPTER XI. 

FORCE AND STRESS. 

Force, as a property of voice, constitutes an element 
of expression which may exist in single or consecutive 
sounds. It implies strength or loudness of voice in 
different degrees, from the gentlest whisper to the 
boldest and most vehement forms of utterance. 

The standard degree of force is that which we em- 
ploy in ordinary conversation and in unimpassioned 
utterance. Any departure from this, as softer or 
louder, must be governed by the sentiment or emo- 
tion. 

Gentle, calm emotions, as grief, sorrow, love, tender- 
ness, tranquillity, etc., require subdued tones. 

Strong feelings, as anger, revenge, scorn, alarm, joy, 
etc., call for loud force, varying in degree according to 
the intensity- of the emotion. 

Extreme emotion and secrecy sometimes paralyze the 
voice, and render it choked and muffled, in the form 
of aspirated or whispered utterance. 

Practise the elementary sounds, columns of words 
and sentences, in all degrees of force, increasing grad- 
ually from a whisper to the greatest volume of which 
the voice is capable. Eeverse the order, observing to 
preserve the same key in each exercise. 

The following selections illustrate the gradations in 

91 



92 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

force which, may be practised in connection with the 
sounds and words. 

EXAMPLES. 

Whisper. All silent they went, for the time was approaching. 
Half whisper. For the hoats! Forward! 
Soft force. Hail, holy light ! offspring 

Of heaven, first horn ! 
Very soft force. Oh, lightly, lightly tread ! 
Moderate force. Here will we sit, and let the sound of music 
creep in our ears. 

Loud force. Come one, come all ; this rock shall fly 

From its firm base as soon as I. 
Very loud force. To arms ! they come ! the Greek ! the Greek ! 

MODERATE. 

" Life is a great fact. "We live. Here is a momen- 
tous verity. Most mysterious, and yet most real, is 
this solemn now. Oat of the dread, dark, speechless 
abyss of possibilities, we have come to be among 
things which are to move, to breathe. Before us 
lies the immense unknown, and deep silence is its 
covering." 

SOFT. 
Repose and Solemnity. 

" How hard he breathes ! over the snow 

I heard just now the crowing cock. 
The shadows flicker to and fro ; 
The cricket chirps ; the light burns low ; 

'T is nearly twelve o'clock. 

Shake hands before you die ! 
Old Year, we '11 dearly rue for you ; 
"What is it we can do for you ? 

Speak out before you die." 



FORCE AND STRESS. 93 

VERY SOFT. 
Awe and Tenderness. 
" Hush ! 't is a holy hour. The quiet room 

Seems like a temple, while yon soft lamps shed 
A faint and starry radiance through the gloom, 

And the sweet stillness down on young, bright heads, 
With all their clustering locks untouched by care, 

And bowed, as flowers are bowed with night, in prayer." 

WHISPER. 
Horror at a Dreadful Apparition. 
"How ill this taper burns ! Ha ! w7io comes here ? 
I think it is the weakness of mine eyes, 
That shapes this monstrous apparition. 
It comes upon me : Art thou anything ? 
Art thou some god, some angel, or some devil, 
That mak'st my blood cold, and my hair to stare? 
Speak to me, what thou art." 

HALF WHISPER. 

How dreadful is this place ! This is none other than 
the house of God, and the gate of heaven ! 

LOUD. 
Animation. 

"Oh, young Lochinvar is come out of the west — 
Through all the wide border his steed was the best ; 
And save his good broadsword he weapon had none, — 
He rode all unarmed, and he rode all alone. 
So faithful in love, and so dauntless in war, 
There ne'er was a knight like the young Lochinvar." 

INTENSE, SUSTAINED FORCE. 
Shouting and Calling. 

"Awake! awake! 
Ring the alarm-bell : — Murder ! and treason ! 
Banquo, and Donalbain ! Malcolm ! awake ! " 



94 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

VERY LOUD. 
Anger. 

" Whence and what art thou ? execrable shape ! 
That dar'st, though 'grim and terrible, advance 
Thy miscreated front athwart my way 
To yonder gates ? Through them I mean to pass, — 
That be assured, — without leave asked of thee." 

Stress. 

In the application of stress, tlie force of the voice 
falls on some portion of the vowel sound in the accented 
syllable of emphatic words. 

The radical stress implies force on the beginning or 
opening of the sound, and belongs to the expression of 
abrupt and startling emotions ; also, in its gentler 
form, to nnimpassioned language, to impart clearness 
and life to the utterance. 

The vanishing stress falls on the close or vanish of 
the sound, and expresses impatience, vexation, deter- 
mination, contempt, etc. 

The median stress is force applied to the middle of a 
sound, and belongs to slow movement, to expressions 
of pathos, solemnity, grandeur, exultation, admiration, 
reverence, awe, etc. 

The compound stress is force upon the opening and 
close of a sound. It expresses surprise, mockery, and 
raillery. 

Thorough stress implies equal force on all parts of 
the sound, and is heard in language of bold command, 
courage, joy, rapture. 

The tremulous stress is a quivering of the voice on 
a sound, and is used in excessive grief, fatigue, mirth, 
joy, etc. 



FORCE AND STRESS. 95 

EXAMPLES. 

Gentle. C Speak tlie speech, I pray you, as I pro- 
Radical stress. < nounced it to you. 

Strong. (_Next anger rusli'd, liis eyes on fire. 
Vanishing stress. Oh, what a rogue and peasant slave am I! 
Median stress. Whence are thy beams, O sun ! thy everlasting 

light ? 
Compound stress. Gone to be married? Gone to swear a peace? 
Thorough stress. Wave, Munich, all thy banners wave. 
Tremulous stress. Pity the sorrows of a poor old man. 

GENTLE RADICAL. 
Gay, Brisk Style. 
" Here it comes sparkling, 
And there it lies darkling, 
Now smoking and frothing, 
Its tumult and wrath in, 
Till in this rapid race 
On which it is bent, 
It reaches the place 
Of its deep descent." 

STRONG RADICAL. 
Command. 

"Up, comrades, up! 
In Rokeby's halls, ne'er be it said our courage falls." 

VANISHING. 
Defiance. 

" And first, I tell thee, haughty peer, 
He who does England's message here, 
Although the meanest in her state, 
May well, proud Angus, be thy mate ; 
And, Douglas, more, I tell thee, here, 

Even in thy pitch of pride, 
Here in thy hold, thy vassals near, 
(Nay, never look upon your lord, 
And lay your hand upon your sword,) 
I tell thee, thou 'rt defied! " 



96 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

MEDIAN. 
Solemnity and Gloom. 

" sailor-boy ! sailor-boy! never again 

Shall love, home, or kindred thy wishes repay ; 
Unblessed and unhonored, down deep in the main, 
Full many a score fathom thy frame shall decay." 

COMPOUND. 
Surprise and Astonishment. 

" What ! to attribute the sacred sanctions of God 
and nature to the massacres of the Indian scalping- 
knife ! " 

THOROUGH. 
Distraction and Haste. 
" Cannon to right of them, 

Cannon to left of them, 

Cannon in front of them 

Volleyed and thundered ! 
Stormed at with shot and shell, 
Boldly they rode and well ; 
Into the jaws of death, — - 
Into the mouth of hell, 
Rode the six hundred." 

TREMULOUS. 
Mirth. 

" Oh ! then, I see Queen Mab hath been with you. 
She comes 
In shape no bigger than an agate-stone 
On the forefinger of an alderman, 
Drawn by a team of little atomies 
Athwart men's noses as they lie asleep." 



CHAPTER XII. 

PITCH. 

Pitch is the predominating key-note used in reading 
or speaking. 

The middle pitch of the voice is that of our habitual 
speech, and is the natural note of calm, unimpassioned 
utterance, with the slight variation of perhaps a tone 
above or below. 

Strong emotions require greater or less variation in 
pitch, according to the depth or intensity of feeling. 

All degrees below the medium note are associated 
with feelings of a grave or solemn character. All 
degrees above are characteristic of gay, joyous, humor- 
ous feelings, or of alarm, terror, and surprise. 

Strictly defined, the speaking voice, considered with 
reference to its compass, is capable of variation by 
tones and half tones, as in the singing voice. 

The varieties of pitch for mechanical drill may be 
designated as low, very low, middle, high, very high. 

Practise vowel sounds ; columns of words, and 
sentences, on various degrees of pitch, beginning with 
the middle key, then higher and higher until the 
highest note of the speaking voice is reached without 
straining it. 

Reverse the practice, beginning with the middle 
key. Adopt successively a lower and lower key until 
the lowest note of the voice is reached. This exercise, 
9 G 97 



98 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

daily and persistently practised, will extend the com- 
pass and pliancy of the voice, and serve to bring it 
under facile control. 

EXAMPLES. 

Middle pitch. Lovely art thou, O Peace, and lovely are thy 
children. 

Low pitch. These are thy glorious works, Parent of good. 

Very low pitch. How frightful the grave ! how deserted and 
drear ! 

High pitch. Last came joy's ecstatic trial. 

Very high pitch. Come over, come over the river to me. 

MIDDLE. 
Descriptive. 

" In the midst of wild mountain scenery, picturesque 
but not magnificent, when compared with the White 
Mountains of New Hampshire, the Adirondack and 
Catskill range in New York, or the Alleghanies in 
"Western Pennsylvania and Yirginia, is a bold prom- 
ontory, called West Point, rising more than one hun- 
dred and fifty feet above the waters of the Hudson ; 
its top a perfectly level and fertile plateau, and every 
rood hallowed by associations of the deepest interest." 

LOW. 
Reverence. 

" On hended knee, 

I recognize thy purpose clearly shown ; 
My vision Thou hast dimm'd, that I may see 
Thyself, Thyself alone." 

VERY LOW. 
Solemnity and Awe. 

" Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place in all gene- 
rations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or 
ever" thou haclst formed the earth and the world, even 
from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God." 



PITCH. 



99 



HIGH. 
CheerGulness. 
" Haste thee, nymph, and hring with thee 
Jest and youthful jollity, 
Quips and cranks, and wanton wiles, 
Nods and becks, and wreathed smiles, 
Such as hang on Hebe's cheek, 
And love to live in dimple sleek : 
Sport that wrinkled Care derides, 
And Laughter, holding both his sides." 

VERY HIGH. 
Ecstatic Joy. 
" Ring, joyous chords ! ring out again ! 
A swifter still and a wilder strain; 
And bring fresh wreaths : we will banish all, 
Save the free in heart from our festive hall." 



Transitions in Pitch. 
The following exercise in transition of pitch is de- 
signed to illustrate the great compass of voice required 
in reading a single stanza, from the lowest note of the 
speaking voice to the extreme highest, or through 
nearly an octave and a half. 



Middle Pitch. 1 
"Did ye not | 


High. 

- hear it? | 


High. I 
No: 


Middle. High. 
'twas but the | wind. 


Middle. 1 
Or the 


High. 1 
car 


Middle Note, 
rattling o'er the stony street ; 


Very High. 
On with the dance ; 


Very High. 1 

let joy J 


High. 

be unconfined ; 


Whisper. 

But hark! | 


Very Low. 

that heavy sound 


Low 

breaks in once more, 


Middle. 1 

As if the 1 


High. 1 

clouds 1 


High, 
its echo 1 


Middle, 
would repeat ; 


High. 1 

And nearer, | 


Very High. 1 

clearer, | 


Very Low. 

deadlier than before ! 


Very High. 1 
Arm! arm! | 


it is — it is 


High. 

— the cannon's opening roar ! " 



CHAPTER XIII. 

RATE OR MOVEMENT. 

Rate or movement relates to the utterance, as fast or 
slow, and is regulated by the time in uttering the vowel 
sounds, and by pauses. 

Every emotion and sentiment has its appropriate 
rate. 

Moderate rate is characteristic of unimpassioned lan- 
guage, of narrative and descriptive styles, of grave and 
moderate sentiment. 

Slow rate is required in expressing sublime, pathetic, 
and tranquil emotions. 

Very slow rate is exemplified in the expression of the 
deepest emotions, as awe, gloom, horror, melancholy, rev- 
erence, and adoration. 

Rapid rate is heard in the utterance of animation and 
cheerfulness. 

Very rapid rate belongs to all excited, impassioned 
feelings and sentiments, as haste, fear, alarm, anger, 
revenge, etc. 

Quantity. 

A very important element of rate is quantity or 
duration of vowel sounds. Thus, in the word v5-cal, 
much more time is given to the vowel sound in the first 
than in the last syllable. The former may be called a 
long and the latter a short quantity. 

100 



RATE OR MOVEMENT. 101 



Without a proper use of long quantities, it is im- 
possible to render passages expressive of grandeur, 
solemnity, majesty, etc.; so, on the other hand, any 
attempt to prolong or swell the voice on short, im- 
mutable quantities, produces only burlesque and affec- 
tation. 

Select sounds, words, and sentences as before, and 
utter in various movements. Begin as slow as possible 
(without drawling) ; increase the rate at each successive 
utterance, until you shall have reached the greatest 
possible speed at which the articulation is distinct. 

Reverse the order, and deliver, in connection with 
each stage of practice, the following exercises, illus- 
trating five degrees of rate as associated with appro- 
priate emotions. 

EXAMPLES. 

Slow rate. Leaves have their time to fall, 

And flowers to wither at the North wind's breath. 

Very slow rate. I had a dream, t which. was not all a dream. 

Moderate rate. The quality of mercy is not strained ; 

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven 
Upon the place beneath. 

Rapid rate. Haste thee, nymph, and bring with thee 
Jest and youthful jollity. 

Very rapid rate. Send out more horses ! skirr the country round ! 

MODERATE RATE. 

" The latest gospel in this world is, know thy work 
and do it. ' Know thyself ; ' long enough has that 
poor ' self ' of thine tormented thee ; thou wilt never 
get to ' know ' it, I believe ! Think it not tlry business, 
this of knowing thyself, thou art an unknowable indi- 
vidual : know what thou canst work at, and work at 
it like a Hercules ! That will be thy better plan." 



102 A MANUAL OP ELOCUTION. 

SLOW MOVEMENT. 

Long Quantities and Long Pauses. 

Solemnity and Awe. 
"Hast thou a charm to stay the morning star 
In his steep course ? So long he seems to pause 
On thy bald, awful head, O sovereign Blanc ! 
The Arve and Arveiron at thy base 
Eave ceaselessly ; hut thou, most awful form ! 
Eisest from forth thy silent sea of pines, 
How silently! " 

VERY SLOW. 
Melancholy. 
"To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, 
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, 
To the last syllable of recorded time ; 
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools 
The way to dusty death." 



Short Quantities -and Short Pauses. 

Animation. 

"When o'er the hills like a gladsome bride, 
Morning walks forth in her beauty's pride, 
And leading a band of laughing hours, 
Brushes the dew from the nodding flowers. 
Oh, cheerily then my voice is heard, 
Mingling with that of the soaring bird, 
Who flingeth abroad his matins loud, 
As he freshens his wing in the cold gray cloud." 

VERY RAPID. 

Distraction and Terror. 

He springs from his hammock, he flies to the deck, 

Amazement confronts him with images dire ; 
Wild winds and mad waves drive the vessel a-wreck 
The masts fly in splinters, the shrouds are on fire! 



CHAPTER XIV. 

EMOTIONAL ANALYSIS. 

In order to read correctly and impressively, it is neces- 
sary that the student should have a clear conception 
of the prevailing sentiment of the piece. For this 
purpose each lesson should be carefully analyzed with 
reference to the various emotions, pauses, inflections, 
emphases, and appropriate tone, — including all that 
relates to pitch, force, stress, and rate, applied to the 
utterance. 

EXAMPLES FOR PRACTICE. 

ADDRESS TO A MUMMY. 

1. "And thou hast walked about (how strange a story) 
In Thebes 1 streets, three thousand years ago, 

"When the Memnoniuru was in all its glory, 
And time had not begun to overthrow 

Those temples, palaces, and piles stupendous, 

Of which the very ruins are tremendous. 

" Speak ! for thou long enough hast acted dummy ; 
Thou hast a tongue. Come, let us hear its tune ; 
Thou 'rt standing on thy legs, above ground, mummy, 

Kevisiting the glimpses of the moon ; 
Not like thin ghosts or disembodied creatures, 
But with thy bones and flesh, and limbs and features." 

2. " We bid }^ou welcome to the healthful skies and 
the verdant fields of New England. We greet your 

103 



104 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

accession to the great inheritance which we have en- 
joyed. We welcome you to the blessings of good 
government and religious liberty. We welcome you 
to the treasures of science and the delights of learning. 
We welcome you to the transcendent sweets of do- 
mestic life, to the happiness of kindred and parents 
and children. We welcome you to the immeasurable 
blessings of rational existence, the immortal hope of 
Christianity, and the light of everlasting truth." 

SCENE FROM "SCnOOL FOE SCAXDAL." 

3. Sir Peter. — Yery well, ma'am, very well ; so a 
husband is to have no influence, no authority ? 

Lady Teazle. — Authority ! No, to be sure ; if you 
wanted authority over me, you should have adopted 
me, and not married me ; I am sure you were old 
enough. 

Sir P. — Old enough ! ay, there it is. Well, well, 
Lady Teazle, though my life may be made unhappy by 
your temper, I '11 not be ruined by your extravagance. 

Lady T. — My extravagance ! Sir Peter, am I to 
blame because flowers are dear in cold weather ? You 
should find fault with the climate, and not with me. 
For my part, I 'm sure, I wish it was spring all the 
year around, and that roses grew under our feet. 

Sir P. — Zounds ! Madam, if you had been born to 
this, I shouldn't wonder at your talking thus; but 
you forget what your situation was when I married 
you. 

Lady T. — No, no, I don't ; 't was a very disagreeable 
one, or I should never have married you, Sir Peter ! 
Would you have me be out of the fashion ? 



EMOTIONAL ANALYSIS. 105 

Sir P. — The fashion, indeed ! "What had you to do 
with the fashion before you married me ? 

Lady T. — For my part, I should think you would 
like to have your wife thought a woman of taste. 

Sir P. — Ay, there again, taste. Zounds ! Madam, 
you had no taste when you married me. 

Lady T. — -That 's very true, indeed, Sir Peter ; and 
after having married you, I should never pretend to 
taste again, I allow ; but now, Sir Peter, since we have 
finished our daily jangle, I presume I may go to my 
engagement at Lady Sneerwell's. 

Sir P. — Ay, there 's another precious circumstance, 
a charming set of acquaintances you have made there. 

THE WRECK. 

4. "But gentler now the small waves glide, 
Like playful lambs o'er a mountain side ; 
So stately her bearing, so proud her array, 
The main she will traverse forever and aye. 
Many ports will exult at the gleam of her mast ; 
Hush ! hush ! thou vain dreamer, this hour is her last. 
Five hundred souls, in one instant of dread, 
Are hurried o'er the deck ; 
And. fast the miserable ship 
Becomes a hopeless wreck. 
Her keel hath struck on hidden rock, 
Her planks are torn asunder, 
And down colne her masts with a reeling shock, 
And a hideous crash like thunder." 

OUTWAED BOUND. 

5. " Hurrah ! hurrah ! how gaily we ride ! How 
the ship careens ! How she leaps ! How gracefully 
she bends ! How fair her white wings ! How trim 
her hull ! How slim her tall, taper masts ! What a 



106 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTIOX. 

beautiful, dancing fairy ! Up from my narrow shelf 
in the close cabin have I crept for the first time since 
we loosed cable and swung out upon the tide, and every 
drop of blood in my veins jostles its neighbor drop ex- 
ultingiy, for here is sublimity unrivalled. 

" The wild, shifting, restless sea, with its playful 
waves chasing one another laughingly, ever and anon 
leaping up, shivering themselves by the force of their 
own mad impulse, and descending again in a shower 
of pearls." 

THE FIRE. 

6. " When, hark ! Oh, horror ! What a crash is there ; 
What shriek is that which fills the midnight air ? 
'T is fire ! 't is fire ! She wakes to dream no more; 
The hot hlast rushes through the blazing door ! 
The dun smoke eddies round; and, hark! that cry! 
'Help ! help ! Will no one aid ? I die — I die ! ' 
She seeks the casement ; shuddering at the sight, 
She turns again ; the fierce flames mock her flight ; 
Along the crackling stairs they fiercely play, 
And roar, exulting, as they seize their prey. 
' Help ! help ! Will no one come ? ' She can no more ; 
But, pale and breathless, sinks upon the floor." 



" thou Eternal One ! whose presence bright 
All space doth occupy, all motion guide ; 

Unchanged through Time's all-devastating flight ; 
Thou only God ! There is no God beside ! 

Being above all beings ! Mighty One ! 

Whom none can comprehend, and none explore ; 

Who fill'st existence with thyself alone ; 
Embracing all — supporting — ruling o'er — 
Beins; whom we call God — and know no more." 



EMOTIONAL ANALYSIS. 107 

MACDCFF, OX HEAKIXG OF THE SLAUGHTER OF HIS WIFE AXD 
CIIILDEEX. 

8. Macd. — My children, too ? 

Rosse. — Wife, children, servants, all that could be 
found. 

Macd. — And I must be from thence ! My wife 
kill'd, too ? 

Rosse. — I have said. 
Mai. — Be comforted. 

Let 's make ns med'cines of our great revenge, 
To cure this deadly grief. 
Macd. — He has no children. All my pretty ones ? 
Did yon say all ? All? 
What! all my pretty chickens and their 
dam at one fell swoop? 
Mai. — Dispute it like a man. 
Macd. — I shall do so. 

But I mnst also feel it as a man. 

I cannot but remember such things were. 

That were most precious to me. Did heaven 

look on, 
And would not take their part ? Sinful 

Macduff ! 
They were all struck for thee ! Naught that 

I am; 
Not for their own demerits, but for mine, 
Fell slaughter on their sonls. — Macbeth. 

SCEXE BETWEEX HTJBEET AXD AKTHUK. 

9. " Alas ! what need you be so boisterous, rough? 
I will not struggle : I will stand stone-still. 
For heaven's sake, let me not be bound. 
Nay, bear me, Hubert ; drive these men away, 



108 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

And I will sit as quiet as a lamb ; 

I will not stir, nor wince, nor speak a word, 

ISTor look upon the iron angrily. 

Thrust but these men away, and I '11 forgive you 

Whatever torment you may put me to." 

PAXIL BEVEEE's EIDE. 

10. "A hurry of hoofs in the village street, 

A shape in the moonlight, a bulk in the dark ; 
And beneath from the pebbles, in passing, a spark 
Struck out by a steed flying fearless and fleet — 

That was all ! And yet through the gloom and the light, 
The fate of a nation was riding that night : 
And the spark struck out by that steed in his flight, 
Kindled the land into flame with its heat." 

BATTLE OF HOHENXISTDEN. 

11. " The combat deepens. On, ye brave ! 

"Who rush to glory, or the grave ! 
Wave, Munich ! all thy banners wave, 
And charge with all thy chivalry. 

" Few, few shall part where many meet ! 
The snow shall be their winding-sheet ; 
And every turf beneath their feet 
Shall be a soldier's sepulchre." 

HYMN TO THE FLOWEES. 

12. " And then I think of one who in 

Her youthful beauty died, 
The fair meek blossom that grew up 

And faded by my side ; 
In the cold, moist earth we laid her 

When the forest casts the leaf, 
And we wept that one so lovely 

Should have a life so brief. 
Yet not unmeet it was that one, 

Like that young friend of ours, 
So gentle and so beautiful, 

Should perish with the flowers." 



EMOTIONAL ANALYSIS. 109 

THE DYING CHRISTIAN TO IIIS SOCL. 

13. "Hark! they whisper — angels say, 
' Sister spirit, come away ; ' 
What is this absorbs me quite ? 
Steals my senses, shuts my sight, 
Drowns my spirit, draws my breath ? 
Tell me, my soul, can this be death ? 

" The world recedes ! it disappears ! 
Heaven opens to mine eyes! mine ears 

With sounds seraphic ring ! 
Lend, lend your wings ! I mount ! I fly! 
O grave! where is thy victory ? 

O death ! where is thy sting ? " 

KIXG LEAR BAXISHTXG EIEXT. 

14. " Hear me, recreant! on thine allegiance hear me ! 
Since thou hast sought to make us break our vow 
(Which we durst never yet), and with stain'd pride, 
To come betwixt our sentence and our power, 
(Which nor our nature nor our place can bear) ; 
Our potency make good; take thy reward — 
Five days do we allot thee for provision 
To shield thee from diseases of the world ; 
And on the sixth, to turn thy hated back 
Upon our kingdom ; if, on the tenth day following 
Thy banished trunk be found in our dominions, 
That moment is thy death. Away! by Jupiter, 
This shall not be revoked ! " 

THE BORROWED UMBRELLA. 

15. Bali ! that 's the third umbrella gone since 
Christmas. "What were you to do ? Why, let him 
go home in the rain, to be sure. I 'm very certain 
there was nothing about him that could spoil ! Take 
cold, indeed ! He does n't look like one of the sort to 
take cold. Besides, he 'd have letter taken cold than 
10 



110 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

taken our umbrella. Do you hear the rain, Mr. 
Caudle ? I say, do you hear the rain ? Do you hear 
it against the windows ? Nonsense : you don't impose 
upon me ; you can't be asleep with such a shower as 
that ! Do you hear it, I say ? Oh ! you do hear it ! 
Well, that 's a pretty flood, I think, to last 'for six 
weeks ; and no stirring all the time out of the house. 
Pooh ! don't think me a fool, Mr. Caudle ; don't insult 
me ; he return the umbrella ? Anybody would think 
you were born yesterday. As if anybody ever did 
return an umbrella ! 

THE OATAEACT OF LODOEE. 

16. Here it comes sparkling, 
And there it lies darkling ; 
Here smoking and frothing, 
Its tumults and wrath in, 
It hastens along, conflicting, strong, 
Now striking and raging, 
As if a war waging 
Its caverns and rocks among. 

Bising and leaping, 
Sinking and creeping, 
Swelling and flinging, 
Showering and springing, 
Eddying and whisking, 
Spouting and frisking, 
Twining and twisting, 
Around and around, 
Collecting, disjecting, 
With endless rebound 
Smiting and fighting, 
In turmoil delighting; 
Confounding, astounding. 
Dizzying and deafening the ear with its sound. 



EMOTIOXAL ANALYSIS. Ill 

soxg of toe shirt. 
17. "Work — work — work, 

Till the brain begins to swim ! 
"Work — work — work, 

Till the eyes are heavy and dim ! 
Seam and gusset and band, 

Band and gusset and seam, 
Till over the buttons I fall asleep, 
And sew tbem on in a dream ! " 

"Ob, men with sisters dear! 

Ob, men with mothers and wives ! 
It is not linen you 're wearing out, 

But human creatures' lives ! 
Stitch — stitch — stitch, 

In poverty, hunger, and dirt, 
Sewing at once, with a double thread, 

A shroud as well as a shirt ! " 

EXCELSIOR. 

18. The shades of night were falling fast, 
As through an Alpine village passed 
A youth, who bore, 'mid snow and ice, 
A banner, with the strange device, 
Excelsior ! 

His brow was sad ; his eye beneath, 
Flashed like a falchion from its sheath ; 
And like a silver clarion rung 
The accents of that unknown tongue — 
Excelsior ! 

In happy homes he saw the light 
Of household fires gleam warm and bright ; 
Above, the spectral glaciers shone, 
And from his lips escaped a groan, 
Excelsior ! 

"Try not the pass," the old man said, 
"Dark lowers the tempest overhead ; 



112 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

The roaring torrent is deep and wide ! " 
And loud that clarion voice replied, 
Excelsior ! 

"Oh, stay," the maiden said, " and rest 
Thy weary head upon this breast ! " 
A tear stood in his bright blue eye, 
But still he answered, with a sigh, 
Excelsior ! 

"Beware the pine-tree's withered branch ; 
Beware the awful avalanche ! " 
This was the peasant's last good-night ; 
A voice replied far up the height, 

Excelsior ! 

At break of day, as heavenward 
The pious monks of St. Bernard 
Uttered the oft-repeated prayer, 
A voice cried through the startled air, 
Excelsior ! 

A traveller by the faithful hound 
Half buried in the snow was found ; 
Still grasping in his hand of ice 
That banner, with the strange device, 
Excelsior ! 

There in the twilight cold and gray, 
Lifeless but beautiful he lay, 
And from the sky serene and far, 
A voice fell like a falling star — 

Excelsior ! 
Henry W. Longfellow. 

HYMN TO MT. BLAKO. 

19. "Ye ice-falls ! ye that from the mountain's brow 
Adown enormous ravines slope amain — 
Torrents, methinks, that heard a mighty voice, 
And stopped at once amid their maddest plunge! 



EMOTIONAL ANALYSIS. 113 

Motionless torrents ! silent cataracts ! 

"Who made you glorious as the gates of heaven 

Beneath the keen, full moon ? Who bade the sun 

Clothe you with rainbows? Who, with living flowers 

Of loveliest blue, spread garlands at your feet ? 

God ! let the torrents, like a shout of nations, 

Answer ! and let the ice-plains echo, God! 

God ! sing, ye meadow streams, with gladsome voice ! 

Ye pine groves, with your soft and soul-like sounds ! 

And they, too, have a voice, yon piles of snow, 

And in their perilous fall shall thunder, God ! 

"Ye living flowers that skirt the eternal frost ! 
Ye wild goats sporting round the eagle's nest ! 
Ye eagles, playmates of the mountain storm ! 
Ye lightnings, the dread arrows of the clouds ! 
Ye signs and wonders of the element ! 
Utter forth God, and fill the hills with praise ! " 

THE BATTLE OF IVET. 

20. Hurrah ! the foes are moving ! Hark to the mingled din 
Of fife, and steed, and trump, and drum, and roaring culverin ! 
The fiery duke is pricking fast across St. Andre's plain, 
"With all the hireling chivalry of Guelders and Almayne. 
Now by the lips of those ye love, fair gentlemen of France, 
Charge for the golden lilies now — upon them with the lance ! 
A thousand spurs are striking deep, a thousand spears in rest, 
A thousand knights are pressing close behind the snow-white 

crest ; 
And in they burst, and on they rushed, while, like a guiding 

star, 
Amidst the thickest carnage blazed the helmet of Navarre." 

THE BELLS. 

21. Hear the sledges with the bells — 
Silver bells ! 
What a world of merriment their melody foretells ! 
How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle, 
In the icy air of night ! 
10* H 



114 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

"While the stars that oversprinkle 

All the heavens, seem to twinkle 
With a crystalline delight ; 

Keeping time, time, time, 

In a sort of Eunic rhyme, 
To the tintinnabulation that so musically wells 

From the bells, bells, bells — 
From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells. 

Hear the mellow wedding bells — 

Golden bells ! 
What a world of happiness their harmony foretells ! 
Through the balmy air of night 
How they ring oxit their delight ! 
From the molten, golden notes, 

And all in tune, 
What a liquid ditty floats 

To the turtle-dove that listens, while she gloats 
On the moon ! 
Oh, from out the sounding cells, 
What a gush of euphony voluminously wells ! 
How it swells ! 
How it dwells 
On the Future ! how it tells 
Of the rapture that impels 
To the swinging and the ringing 
Of the bells, bells, bells — 
To the rhyming and the chiming of the bells ! 

Hear the loud alarum bells — 

Brazen bells ! 
What a tale of terror, now, their turbulency tells ! 

In the startled ear of night 

How they scream out their affright ! 

Too much horrified to speak, 

They can only shriek, shriek, 
Out of tune, 
In a clamorous appealing to the mercy of the fire, 
In a mad expostulation with the deaf and frantic fire. 



EMOTIONAL ANALYSIS. 115 

Leaping higher, higher, higher, 
"With a desperate desire, 
And a resolute endeavor 
Now — now to sit or never, 

By the side of the pale-faced moon. 

Oh, the bells, bells, bells ! 
What a tale their terror tells 

Of despair! 
How they clang, and clash, and roar! 
What a horror they outpour 

On the bosom of the palpitating air ! 
Yet the ear it fully knows 

By the twanging, 

And the clanging, 
How the danger ebbs and flows ; 
Yet the ear distinctly tells, 

In the jangling, 

And the wrangling, 
How the danger sinks and swells, 
By the sinking or the swelling in the anger of the bells, 
In the clamor and the clangor of the bells ! 

Hear the tolling of the bells — 

Iron bells ! 
What a world of solemn thought their monody compels ! 
In the silence of the night, 
How we shiver with affright 
At the melancholy menace of their tone ! 
For every sound that floats 
From the rust within their throats 

Is a groan. 
And the people — ah ! the people — 
They that dwell up in the steeple, 

All alone, 
And who tolling, tolling, tolling, 

In that muffled monotone, 
Feel a glory in so rolling 

On the human heart a stone — 



116 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

They are neither man nor woman — 
They are neither brute nor human — 

They are Ghouls : 
And their king it is who tolls ; 
And he rolls, rolls, rolls, 

Rolls 
A ptean from the bells ! 
And his merry bosom swells 
With the psean of the bells, 
And he dances and he yells, 

Keeping time, time, time, 
As he knells — 

In a happy Eunic rhyme, 
To the rolling of the bells, bells, bells, 
To the tolling of the bells, bells, bells, 

To the moaning and the 
Groaning of the bells. 

B. A. Poe. 



CHAPTER XV. 

HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS ON THE USE OF 
THE VOICE. 

1. Pure air is indispensable. 

2. Let five minutes be devoted to breathing exer- 
cises before each daily vocal drill. 

8. If giddiness results from the breathing, discon- 
tinue it. 

4. The standing position is preferable to sitting. 

5. Never use the voice directly after a full meal, or 
on an empty stomach. 

6. The clothing about the neck and waist should be 
worn loose. 

7. Do not practise too long at once. 

8. Fifteen minutes are sufficient for beginners. 

9. Daily and systematic drill will alone insure success. 

10. Energy and will must accompany every exercise. 

11. Attempt one thing at a time. 

12. Use the voice without restraint. 

13. Every means employed to build up a vigorous 
physical condition is so much capital for good voice. 

14. Practise frequently out of doors in mild weather. 

15. Keep the passages of the throat and nostrils as 
clear as possible. 

16. Avoid using the voice in the open air»in cold 
weather. 



118 A MANUAL OF ELOCUTION. 

Extempore or Sight Reading. 

" To read a piece for the first time with, a good, dis- 
tinct, and deliberate articulation, pronouncing the 
words with boldness and force, and at the same time 
with propriety and elegance, distinguishing the more 
significant words by a natural, forcible, and varied 
emphasis, and the subordinate words with a proper 
degree of accent, together with a just variety of pause, 
inflection, and cadence, accompanied by the emotions 
and passions, with their correspondent tones, the reader 
must be in possession of the principles embodied in the 
preceding pages. 

" To read well at sight is a difficult performance ; 
but it can be accomplished by daily effort, the same 
as a skilful musician, after long, laborious practice, 
performing a piece of music the first time, can throw 
into it all the spirit, feeling, and pathos requisite. 

" This fine accomplishment, from its very difficulty 
of acquirement, is, perhaps, the highest excellence of a 
reader ; and the time and labor bestowed in its acquire- 
ment will richly repay him in the pleasure he will 
afford those who may hear him read. 

" To render sight reading possible, the reader must 
cast his eye a little beyond the point at which he is 
reading ; this will enable him to anticipate the sense 
of what follows, and in time he will be able to take 
into his mind a whole clause or sentence at a glance 
of the eye." — Richard Culver. 

THE END. 



